Chinese company Kimberley Agricultural Investment sows first crops in Ord Stage 2

Medium_kai
Kimberley Agricultural Investment (KAI) has been busy sowing chia at Ord Stage 2 (Photo: Kimberley Agricultural Investment)
ABC Rural | 18 May 2015

Chinese company Kimberley Agricultural Investment sows first crops in Ord Stage 2

By Lucie Bell

AUDIO: Hear from KAI's Jim Engelke (ABC Rural)

Although the ultimate goal for Kimberley Agricultural Investment (KAI) is to grow sugar, the company has started by sowing chia over the past week.

KAI general manager Jim Engelke said it was a significant milestone for the project.

"We started planting our first crops late last week and we should have the first portion of it finished by today," he said.

"The most exciting point for me was actually when we started the water in late April.

"From a farming perspective that was the most significant moment, the pre-irrigation, so the planting is just the end of the process."

Of the 600 hectares of farmland that KAI has cleared and prepared, roughly 250 hectares will be dedicated to the chia, with sweet sorghum to be planted next.

"At this stage, the destination market for both [crops] is China," he said.

"Sugar is still the ultimate goal, but we've publicly announced that sweet sorghum will be an interim crop.

"We're currently assessing the viability of refurbishing the old sugar mill in town to crush that sweet sorghum."

Mr Engelke said the owner of KAI's parent company, Shanghai Zhongfu, planned to visit the newly sown crops.

"Mr Wu arrives to have a look at the project later today," he said.

"He has seen the development works progressing and it will certainly be nice to be able to complete the circle and show him the first crops in the ground."

KAI is continuing to develop farmland around the Goomig and Knox Plain sites.

Mr Engelke said he hoped to have approximately 2,500 hectares of land "farm ready" by the end of this year.
  •   ABC
  • 18 May 2015
  • Sign the petition to stop Industria Chiquibul's violence against communities in Guatemala!
  • Who's involved?

    Whos Involved?


  • 13 May 2024 - Washington DC
    World Bank Land Conference 2024
  • Languages



    Special content



    Archives


    Latest posts