Listed agribusiness and superfoods producer Kakuzi Plc (NSE: KUKZ) has successfully completed the inaugural export delivery of 181 Boran heifers to a Uganda-based rancher for breeding.
The breeding heifers valued at more than Kshs 13.5 million left Kakuzi’s Makuyu, Murang’a County, livestock paddocks late last week and have now been received at Mpala Farm, in Kawempe Division, Central Uganda.
Speaking when he confirmed the successful delivery, Kakuzi Livestock Manager Dr. Karatina Ole Nchoki said the 181 heifers aged between 30-36 months will be used for breeding at Mpala Farm, which is introducing a Boran herd.
The Boran cattle originally developed in Kenya, Dr. Ole Nchoki said, is a very hardy breed that is highly resistant to diseases and thrives in arid and semi-arid climatic regions. “Since 1953, the Boran breed has continued to be developed and has emerged as one of Africa’s most resilient cattle breeds. The export of these Kakuzi Boran heifers to Uganda will undoubtedly boost the rich heritage of this breed further afield in the Pearl of Africa and is part of Kakuzi’s business diversification strategy,” Dr. Nchoki said.
While celebrating the inaugural export milestone, Kakuzi Plc Managing Director Mr. Chris Flowers said the agribusiness firm is actively pursuing a product diversification strategy to unlock further value from its commercial forestry, macadamia, avocado, blueberry, tea and livestock investments.
The exports to Uganda, Mr. Flowers added, come on the back of a steady recovery of the firm’s livestock operations from the recent drought, with sales beginning to pick on the back of growing demand for Kakuzi beef cuts in the retail and Hotel/Restaurant/Catering (HoReCa) market. The Kakuzi goat meat venture that has now been trademarked as KABUZI, he said, is also expected to boost growth, with initial sales due to commence in the second half of this year.
“All our business lines provide much-needed leverage to unlock value and ramp up target profits per our business diversification strategy. For example, although our blueberry volumes are still significantly low vis-a-vis the avocado and macadamia outputs, the revenue stream remains firmly within the business plans and inspires further investments. The performance of the tea, forestry, livestock, and arable land operations continue to play their important role in our crop portfolio,” Mr Flowers said.
Under the livestock business stream, Kakuzi is currently rearing a herd of more than 4,420 Boran cattle with the firm’s stud herd registered with the Kenya Stud Book. Still, under the Kakuzi Livestock business stream, Rhodes grass production for quality hay has been expanded with plans for further developments to meet the ever-increasing demand from Murang’a, Kiambu, Nyeri, Meru and Laikipia livestock farmers.
Early this month, Kakuzi formally adopted a new corporate identity that underscores its commitments to agricultural development for the domestic and export markets.
The new Kakuzi brand is aligned with the national agricultural transformation agenda, with sustainability and climate-smart agriculture at its core.
The new Kakuzi identity, the firm’s first defined brand visual system and strategy in 95 years, also signifies a transition to the contemporary world of superfoods growing for both the domestic and export markets based on a strategic decision to prioritise the production of such foods.
As part of the new branding, Kakuzi has also officially launched a range of private-label consumer products developed over the last two years for the domestic market, including ready-to-eat macadamia, gluten-free macadamia flour, cold-pressed macadamia oil and blueberry packs. Following an intensive research and development (R&D) programme by the Kakuzi team, the new branded consumer products will be progressively availed to the local market.
![Canon (www.Canon-CNA.com) today announces the Colorado XL-series, a new platform of 3.4m printers that extends the proven advantages of Canon's UVgel technology to the 3.2m graphics market. Available in hybrid and roll-to-roll configurations, the modular, field upgradable platform powered by UVgel technology delivers great versatility and exceptional productivity for both flexible and rigid media applications from signage and décor to point of sale and packaging. The Colorado XL-series comprises two easy-to-operate models: the Colorado XL7 roll-to-roll printer and Colorado XL7 hybrid printer. The new series brings the benefits of UVgel to a new market segment with exceptional application versatility across a comprehensive range of media – from banner, paper, vinyl and films to soft signage, heat-sensitive materials, foam board, fluted polypropylene, acrylic, aluminium composite boards and cardboard – providing the flexibility to tackle diverse customer requirements. With print speeds of 70m² per hour in quality mode, 106m² per hour in production mode and up to 211m² per hour in express mode, the system delivers the productivity needed for demanding production environments while accommodating substrates up to 52mm/2 inches thick for rigid applications. The new platform includes multiple technology innovations, such as the UVgel 860 ink set, which has been optimised to cover a wide variety of both rigid and flexible applications. It also provides the proven benefits of UVgel: odourless and instant-dry prints, high mechanical and chemical robustness, dimensional stability due to low-temperature curing, excellent colour consistency, TPO [1] - and VCL [2] -free, and matte and gloss finish without the need of a separate varnish. The Colorado XL-series also incorporates new UVgel 850 PrintHeads. Each printhead has 4,544 nozzles and features automated built-in nozzle performance monitoring and compensation. A single printhead supports two colours simultaneously, so that only two printheads are required to print CMYK, plus an optional third if white is configured. Additionally, the Colorado XL-series has an agile and precise printhead carriage that features UVgel DynamicMotion Control to ensure exceptional print quality even with challenging media. Taking the UV LED curing process to the next level, the Colorado XL-series introduces UVgel FullBeam Curing. This technology uses a unique 3.4-metre-wide LED curing array that, combined with an ingenious mirror system, delivers consistent UV light dosing across the entire print width, guaranteeing exceptional print uniformity over large surfaces and enabling a wider colour gamut. Media handling is optimised by the new UVgel TRIdrive vacuum belt system, which features three interactive rollers and multiple powerful vacuum zones that reduce wrinkling and skewing by automatically detecting and correcting the media positioning. This results in highly repeatable media transport through the printer, ensuring accurate positioning both longitudinally and laterally and enabling razor-sharp applications. Optional features for the Colorado XL-series, which are already available on the highly successful and modular Colorado M-series, include: UVgel White for hassle-free white printing, FLXfinish+ for creative effects using matte or gloss or mixed matte and gloss on the same print without additional varnish, and FLXture for textured finishes that mimic materials like leather, wood or fabric. Mathew Faulkner, Director, Marketing & Innovation, Wide Format Printing Group, Canon EMEA, comments: "For the past decade, Canon has been at the forefront of the inkjet evolution in large format, with market-leading technologies including the Colorado roll-to-roll printer series powered by UVgel technology and the Arizona flatbed printers. Large format print providers are looking for systems that deliver high productivity, versatile applications and reliable quality while addressing the challenge of finding skilled operators – which is why Canon is launching our new, breakthrough Colorado XL-series, an addition to our portfolio that will set a new standard in productivity and versatility. “This innovative solution brings the proven advantages of our unique UVgel technology to the 3.2m market for the first time, combining it with extensive automation and a modular design that will enable customers to extend their application possibilities into markets such as packaging and décor. Print service providers already producing high-value signage and graphics can now leverage UVgel's distinctive finishes, including mixed gloss and matte effects and textured printing, at scale to stand out in these new markets. And with its hybrid capabilities, users can print both roll-to-roll and rigid applications on the same device, using the same ink, the same colour profiles and the same unique features and finishes. For brands, for example, this translates to seamless campaigns that span the full spectrum of applications, ensuring perfect consistency across campaign assets whether they're roll-fed graphics, rigid signage, packaging, or décor elements. This is particularly valuable when these different applications appear side by side in-store, where maintaining that consistent quality and finish elevates the entire brand experience that today's brands demand." The Colorado XL-series will be available from the beginning of 2026 via Canon’s direct sales organisations as well as from accredited partners. For more information about the Colorado XL-series, please visit: https://apo-opa.co/3WltKtM](https://businessinsights.africa/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/canon_prograf-100x70.png "Canon expands large format graphics production portfolio with new 3.4m Colorado XL-series")
