Livestock Development Corporation (LDC) Managing Director, Terry Koim had an audience with a few landowners and settlers at Baiyer Police Station to outline LDC’s plans to revive the ranch.
“Landowners need to come together and register a company, so they become shareholders to any investment on the 4000 hectors of land.
“LDC is just a custodian of the land. We want to create generational wealth for the landowners whose land is where the Baiyer Cattle Ranch sits on,” said Koim.
Baiyer Cattle Ranch is in the Mul Baiyer electorate of Western Highlands Province.
It is a colonial property handed over to the Livestock Development Corporation (LDC) in 1982 when LDC was established.
Mismanagement and lack of good governance eventually ran the ranch down in 1992.
Today, a bulldozer is already on site with eviction notices already served to the settlers in late February this year.
“Like all other LDC properties throughout the country, we are taking back Baiyer Cattle Ranch.
“There is no need to discuss land title issues. The land belongs to LDC.
“The land was given to the Government for cattle grazing during the colonial time and then handed over to LDC in 1982, but LDC management at that time shattered the hopes of the landowners’ forefathers.
“That dream is now going to happen and LDC will make it happen,” Koim said.
With settlers moving out of the ranch, work has now commenced to build proper access roads in the valley. Fencing of the property should commence in May.
Mr Koim said by December 2025, cattle should be grazing on the once abandoned Baiyer River Cattle Ranch.
“I urge the people of Baiyer Valley to work with us and help us deliver this project in our collective interest for a better future. It’s revitalization is aligned to the government’s MTDP 4 2023 – 2027 policy under the National Livestock Development Program.
“This will create more economic empowerment for the people of Baiyer and their children and contribute towards the overall import replacement and food security policies of government.