Land group invites investors

BUSINESS

THE people of Bore village in Rigo, Central are custodians of a very fertile grassland that has the potential to be transformed into a viable agribusiness.
So says Richard Vaiba, the chairman of the village’s registered land group known as Rubukorana ILG.
In fact, the ILG has opened its doors to any and all serious agricultural investors. Chairman Vaiba says he has already initiated talks with a potential investor which is interested in growing sorghum to produce stock feed on their land.
The Bore village land is next to the Rigo Rice project area which also has plans to engage surrounding villagers in farming rice.
The rice project is operating on State or alienated land, the same land on which the Chengai Tapioka company had attempted to establish a cassava plantation to produce ethanol fuel, according to Vaiba.
When the project folded a few years ago, the land was left standing vacant until Rigo Rice went in.
“We heard that they (Rigo Rice) are operating on State but there are plans to extend to Rubukorana land. With the operations on State land, we have no power over but our concern is that landowners have to be identified correctly in an awareness for an out-grower programme at the Bore Niuruka village, next to the Launakalana estate.
Vaiba says the communities there needed a major investor to help improve social services such as health and education as well as prvide economic opportunites for the.
They need roads to be upgraded and the village school also needs some attention, he says.
“I brought a developer into the village to plant sorghum, corn and vegetables and establish a cattle ranch. A memorandum of agreement was signed last March but I cannot tell if the project is going to go ahead and how soon.
“That is why we are also calling on the Government and the department or ministry responsible for international trade and investment to assist us in identifying and bringing on shore an investor that can help develop our land,” Vaiba pleaded.

We have a lot of arable land that has potential for a major investment. If you have the agricultural expertise and financial capacity, we would like to hear from you.