Chinese feed machinery company, Muyang, has expressed interest in partnering with the Bungoma County government in Kenya, in the building of an animal feed processing company in region.
Muyang Company, based in Yangzhou China, intends to set up the feed plant in the area at a cost of KES 165 million (USD$1.9 million), which will make use of sugarcane and maize waste products that are abundant in the region, if they are able to strike a deal with the county government.
If the feed plant gets of the ground, its is expected to created an estimated 2000 jobs in the region, according to Bencher Yi, Muyang's Deputy President.
Muyang intends to provide the feed machinery to set up the animal feed mill, along with provideing technical support, training and guaranteeing 2 years of maintenance for all machinery.
The company has been set up in Africa since 2008 and has extensive operations in Africa, with similar companies in Tanzania, South Africa and Mozambique. It plans to extend the same to Kenya and Bungoma is among one of the three selected County's together with Kiambu and Murang'a Counties.
The feed mill will take an estimated nine months to complete and requires a maximum of 2 hectares of land and machinery worth KES 38 million (USD$440,000).
The feed plant will turn currently readily available animal feedstocks like sugarcane waste and maize stalks into compound feed pellets that will then be fed to livestock to enhance productivity. This will improve animal husbandry in the County and enable food security in through more milk and meat production.
The company management that paid a courtesy call to the Deputy Governor expressed their interest in Bungoma and Siaya Counties and the latter had shown interest in venturing in a KES 15 million program that only involves purchase of the silos for a mash feed miller.
The Deputy Governor Chongwony alluded the County government's interest in the venture owing to the fact that agriculture is the backbone of its economy. He said there will be a discussion into the proposal at the next cabinet meeting to be able to agree on the way forward and how best to partner.
"Investing in such companies will not only enhance food security but provide employment opportunities to the youth considering the firms capacity to employ over 2,000 people", added Chongwony.
