PART V. i
This review, lengthy as it may be, does no more than pte to
indicate broadly what is the agricultural position In this I wi
Let me conclude by saying that it 1s hoped that you will find interes
in Kenya's progress and problems. It is believed that your ne
here and the experience you bring to this, the first Agricultura
Con‘erence held in East Africa, will assist the country generally in
promoting its agricultural industry, and speaking for the staff of the
Agricultural Department, we extend to you a cordial welcome.
HIS EXCELLENCY said that he took a. daily interest in
agricultural subjects and was glad to hear Mr. Holm’s clear review of
agriculture in Kenya. Directors of Agriculture constantly required
more funds for their department and it was not often possible to
satisfy all their needs. A large proportion of the available funds had
been set aside in Kenya for research and experimental work and he
was hoping to see Kabete opened shortly as a centre of veterinary
research for Fast Africa. Any suggestions which the Conference
could make to assist experimental and research work would be gladly
welcomed.
CHAPTER IIL
ECONOMIC PROGRESS OF THE TANGANYIKA TERRITORY.
Mr. KIRBY made the following statement: —
As the paper* on this subject that has been put before you during
the Conference is rather statistical than attractive I propose with the
permission of the Chairman to deal with the subject in a more
congenial manner. The idea in writing the paper was, to begin with,
to give members of the Conference some notion of what Tanganyika
produces, and how she has grown in economic importance since the
occupation by the Germans.
Our first most important agricultural activity is the entirely nonnative
 production of sisal, in regard to which our aim is first to equal
the German production. As you see from the table accompanying
the paper our present production of sisal is three and a half thousand
hundredweight, as against the German production of four thousand
hundredweight; but it will be found that, owing to the increases in
prices since the war, our value is greater than that of the Germans;
our production ,as you are no doubt aware, has been kept back by the
war conditions during the time of which the sisal estates were largely
allowed to lapse into ruinate condition. After that time, estates fell
into the hands of the earlier lessees who took all they could out of
them, putting nothing back. Our greatest difficulty about sisal
expansion in Tanganyika is the water problem. There are very large
areas where it is possible to grow the crop with the greatest success—
they are most suitable areas; but as many of us know, for modern
methods of decortication, we require more than a moderate supply of
water; and it is that which is the difficulty. Some of us have heard
recently of a peripatetic decorticator that saunters through the
plantation, carrying the leaves with it and tearing the fibre out of them
as it goes: but it does not seem as vet to be a practical possibility.
* T.C.(C)Ag.10. For text of paper see Appendix.

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