Registration of farmers in 24 pilot counties is underway ahead of the importation of 500 metric tonnes of sunflower seeds from Zambia.
According to Ministry of Agriculture officials, the seeds will be in Kenya in two weeks time ahead of the November to December short rains and will be the first step in the state’s five-year Edible Oil Crops Promotion Project.
“Some of these seeds will be used up by farmers for oil production while some will be used for seed production so that next year and subsequent years we won’t have to procure seeds through import,” said Douglas Kangi, Director of Crop Resources, Agribusiness and Market Development (MoALF).
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The ambitious program aims to increase acreage under edible oils production from 200,000 acres to one million acres nationwide. This will revitalize Kenya’s edible oil industry, enhance food security, empower smallholder farmers and SMEs as well as contribute to the nation’s economic growth.
Kenya currently consumes 900 metric tonnes of edible oil and only six per cent is produced locally. The country spends a hefty Sh120 billion on cooking oil importation. “If we are able to get one million acres under sunflower production we will be able to produce all the cooking oil within our borders,” informed Douglas Kangi.
He added that the government has placed emphasis on sunflower production as it is not a capital-intensive crop to grow, has a short maturity period of between two to three months, and is also a secondary crop that won’t interfere with what most farmers currently grow.
The government has urged county governments which are potential sunflower producers to collaborate in developing a clear plan on the implementation of the project.
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According to State Department for Crop Development Principal Secretary Phillip Kello Harsama, the project which became effective on July 1st of this year, will provide 720 metric tonnes of certified sunflower seeds by the use of the e-voucher input subsidy services, 200MT of assorted canola seeds, sunflower, soya and 10,000 coconut seedlings. It will further disburse Sh42 million to 840 farmers as loans in Kwale, Mombasa, Taita Taveta Tana River, and Kilifi Counties under the National Edible Oil Crops Project.
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