The Turkana County government is exploring a potential partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) to launch a large-scale fodder production initiative, covering 50,000 hectares of land.
The plan aims at producing an estimated 300,000 metric tonnes of animal feed annually for both consumption and export.
The proposal was discussed during a meeting between Dr. John Erus, the Deputy Governor of Turkana County and WFP team led by Deputy Director Bai Mankay Sankoh.
It emerged that an investor had shown willingness to invest up to USD 100 million into the project under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.
According to Dr. Erus, the initiative will boost food security as well as enhancing the resilience of pastoralist communities, by utilizing Turkana county’s large livestock and rangeland potential.
“Food security remains one of our top priorities. With large-scale fodder production, we can strengthen the livestock and pasture value chain and create sustainable livelihoods for our people,” said Dr. Erus.
The Deputy Governor applauded the inclusion of a knowledge-transfer element aiming at building local expertise. He additionally called for the involvement of vocational training institutions in the capacity-building component of the project.
“Governor Lomorukai has continued to encourage partners to invest in the livestock economy. This project does not seek to replace pastoralists, but to empower and include them in new economic opportunities,” he said.
On his part, Mr. Sankoh lauded the initiative, saying it aligns with the current efforts by WFP to enhance food systems and restore degraded ecosystems while grappling with climate change impacts.
He also noted the growing shortage in both regional and global fodder supply, which has led to the disruption of key sectors such as meat and leather production.
