Billionaire Kuguru urges Kenyans to catch locusts, sell to him at KSh 50 per kilo
- Peter Kuguru urged the government agencies not to destroy locusts but instead encourage their growth and population
- The industrialist explained the insects invasion could be Kenya's success story as far as food security is concerned
- Locusts can be commercially used in processing animal feeds because they are rich in vitamins, roughages and minerals
The founder of defunct Softa Bottling Company, Peter Kuguru, has urged the government to support locust growth and population for commercial use.
Kuguru who is a food technologist and real estate guru, said he would buy the insects for use in processing animal feeds as they are rich in vitamins, roughages and minerals.
Speaking to KTN News on Wednesday, February 19, the billionaire said he was willing to purchase a kilo of dried locusts at KSh 50 for the start as away of creating employment.
"I want to propose to the Ministry of Agriculture to support locust population so that we can be able to harvest and dry them in large quantities.
If such a person can go out to the field and collect 20 kilos of locusts per day and sells to me, even if I buy it at KSh 50 per kilo he will have made about a KSh 1,000. I will commercially process them into animal feeds supplement. They are good because they are rich in minerals, vitamins and roughages," he said.
The insects have ravaged parts of the country for close to three months leaving a trail of destruction in farms.
Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit, Turkana, and parts of Isiolo, Meru north and northern Laikipia counties were the hardest hit.
In its January 2020 update, Food and Agriculture Organisation described the current locust situation in the Horn of Africa alarming and one that represents an unprecedented threat to food security.
However, the government swiftly moved to allay fears after successful efforts to contain the pests.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya explained the surviving ones were too old to cause any damage.
Source: TUKO
