CAB129-37 — Page 110

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Page 110

CHAPTER 1

HISTORY AND CONSTITUTION OF THE O.F.C.

1. The Overseas Food Corporation was established by the Overseas Resources Development Act, 1948, which received the Royal Assent on. February 11, 1948. The Corporation was charged with the duty of:-

“(a) securing the investigation, formulation, and carrying out of projects for production or processing in places outside the United Kingdom of foodstuffs or agricultural products other than foodstuffs, and for the marketing of foodstuffs or such products; and

(b) as the first project to be carried out by them, securing the large- scale production of groundnuts, together with crops rotational therewith or ancillary thereto, in Colonial territories in East and Central Africa, and the marketing thereof."

2. More than a year before the Overseas Resources Development Act was passed the Minister of Food announced in the House of Commons on November 25, 1946, that His Majesty's Government had decided that the first year's work on the Scheme for the mechanised production of ground- nuts in East Africa should be launched on a limited commitment while the full implications of the proposals were being examined by a special section in the Ministry of Food in co-operation with the other Departments con- cerned. In order that the first year's work could be started immediately it. had been decided that the United Africa Company Limited should be entrusted with the initial stages of the venture. For this purpose a special company was formed-The United Africa Company (Managing Agency) Limited and under its management the first year's operations were put in hand.

3. It has been the policy from the outset of the Scheme to carry out. all land clearing and engineering works and building operations by contract. 4. All agricultural operations are conducted directly by the Corporation. Broadly speaking, the Contractors clear the land and hand it over to the Corporation at a stage where agricultural operations can begin. It is at this stage that the Contractors' employees give place to the Corporation's employees.

5. The work of the following major Contractors engaged is described in Appendix II:-

Associated Drilling & Supply Co. (Overseas) Ltd.

Balfour Beatty & Co. Ltd.

Consolidated Petroleum Co. Ltd.

Earthmoving & Construction Ltd.

John Mowlem & Co. Ltd.

Pauling & Co. Ltd.

George Stow & Co. Ltd.

Taylor Woodrow Construction Ltd.

6. While work was going forward in East Africa, invitations were being issued to the men who were to become Members of the Board Some of them were age to be their time to the affairs of the Corporation

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