AFA to triple edible oil production to 240,000 metric tonnes by 2027

By Benson Ltamely

Edible oil production in Kenya is set to triple from the current 80,000 metric tonnes (MT) to 240,000 MT by 2027 as Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) implements its Edible Oil Crops Promotion Project (2023-2027) cutting reliance on edible oil imports by 50%.

The project, jointly funded by the National Treasury and AFA, aims to expand the area under edible oil crops in 15 growing counties from the current 60,000 hectares to 250,000 hectares.  It also aspires to promote edible oil crops in 10 non-growing counties.

This will lead to the production of 1.5 million MT of soybean, canola and sunflower seed for use as raw material in oil extraction. Sunflower, widely adapted to almost all ecological zones in the country, is one of the crops singled out as a viable alternative towards achieving self-sufficiency and import substitution.

These interventions, AFA says, will increase production which currently stands at 0.5 tonnes per hectare to 2.0 tonnes per hectare.

AFA’s Nut’s and Oil Crops Directorate distributed 5,000 Kgs of canola seeds to 600 farmers in Nakuru County targeting 1,250 acres during the current rainy season. AFA’s Director of Crop Resources, Douglas Kangi, underscored the potential of oil crops like sunflower as able to yield 25 bags per acre while maturing in about three to four months.

“Farmers can triple profits through value addition, like processing seeds into oil at household levels,” Douglas Kangi noted.

Nakuru County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Leonard Bor, highlighted canola seed’s benefits as a rotational crop for cereal farmers with ability to enhance soil health, suppress pests and improve yields in crops like wheat and barley.

In addition, Mr. Bor added that the initiative will reduce import reliance and lower cooking oil prices in the country. He also emphasised that the project will create over 200,000 direct and indirect jobs through cottage industries and livestock feed production.

Kenya heavily relies on edible oil imports particularly from Southeast Asia to supplement local production. In 2023, it imported a total of 720,000 MT of edible oil worth Ksh98.9 billion.