Mixed Farming Land

HC Deb 28 November 1960 vol 631 cc16-7W

Mr. Stonehouse

asked the Secretary of State far the Colonies if his attention has been called to a statement by the Deputy Chief Secretary of Kenya, that Africans occupy 32,000 square miles out of a total of less than 37,000 square miles of fertile high-rainfall areas in Kenya, and that Europeans farm 4,700 square miles; whether he authorised this statement; and how these figures were obtained.

Mr. Macleod

I have no reason to disagree with the figures nor with what was said. I am circulating the text of the relevant part of the statement.

Following is the text:

Individual title is spreading, but it still has a long way to go.

Perhaps I may give you a few figures to illustrate what I have said. I emphasise that they cover only the mixed farming land of this Colony—that is the more fertile high rainfall areas—and they exclude both the dry ranching areas and the national forests. We calculate that the total area of this good mixed farming land is a little under 37,000 square miles.

Now this area of fertile land is very important to Kenya, because on it is based the whole economy of the country. We have not, so far, found any large mineral deposits here and our industries are mainly secondary industries—and, except for tourism, they are of no great size—so our economy depends to a very great extent on agriculture, and the surplus of crops and livestock products which we export brings in most of the capital we need for development. You can see, therefore, how very important to Kenya is this 37,000 square miles of good fertile land.

Now, of this area, Africans occupy 32,200 square miles—corresponding closely with the areas of settled population which the European explorers found when they arrived here some 70 or 80 years ago. The balance of 4,700 square miles is farmed by immigrant farmers, mostly Europeans But—and this is the important point—this relatively small portion, roughly one-seventh, yields nearly one half of the total agricultural production measured in terms of monetary value and this includes no less than four-fifths of the exportable surplus.