Nakuru: The County Government of Nakuru has distributed 7,000 kilograms of certified sunflower seeds to 2,500 farmers in a strategic move aimed at promoting sunflower farming to increase edible oil production and reduce cooking oil imports.
According to Kenya News Agency, this initiative is a collaboration between the Nakuru County administration and the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) through the Nuts and Oil Crops Directorate. It aims to expand the sunflower cultivation area from the existing 2,300 acres to over 30,000 acres within three years across eleven sub-counties. Agriculture Chief Officer, Engineer Margaret Kinyanjui, highlighted that the distribution of seeds is part of Governor Susan Kihika’s broader initiative to empower local farmers and create jobs, emphasizing the crop’s role in building climate-resilient agricultural systems amid unpredictable rainfall patterns.
Engineer Kinyanjui revealed that since the inception of the county’s sunflower promotion program in 2024, a total of 59,000 kilograms of certified seeds have been received, leading local farmers to cultivate over 9,000 hectares, producing an estimated 9,500 metric tonnes valued at over Sh 475 million. She stressed the importance of utilizing sunflower as a key commercial crop to economically benefit farmers upon harvest.
The county government is actively coordinating the distribution of certified planting materials, providing subsidized fertilizer, establishing market linkages, and enhancing value addition to boost farmers’ earnings. Partnerships are being emphasized to improve sunflower production and market access, with county extension officers set to train farmers on agronomic practices for cost-effective production.
Additionally, sunflower by-products are noted as essential components for high-protein livestock feed formulations. The county is committed to ensuring farmers have access to quality seeds and enhanced extension services to increase edible oil production. The initiative aligns with Nakuru County’s vision of transforming smallholder sunflower farming into a commercially viable and climate-smart value chain.
The county aims to strengthen access to quality seeds, extension services, processing, and markets, enabling farmers to achieve better returns. To support this, the county is advancing the Common User Facility at Agriculture Training Center (ATC)-Soilo to support aggregation and create employment opportunities, especially for young people and women.
Two primary categories of sunflower, hybrid variety (HV) and open-pollinated variety (OPV), are cultivated in the county, with several hybrid varieties maturing within three to four months. The initiative also includes public-private partnerships to provide farmers with services such as land tilling, supervision, and extension services during propagation.
The county government is urging farmers to engage in sunflower farming, highlighting the crop’s potential to reduce the import bill for edible oils, lower cooking oil prices, and meet local and international market demands. Kenya currently produces less than half of its edible oil requirements, with substantial imports from South-East Asia.
Engineer Kariuki noted that Kenya spends at least Shs 160 billion annually on edible oil imports. The county’s sunflower promotion project seeks to boost local production and address the cost of edible oils. The oil crop industry has the potential to create over 200,000 jobs in Nakuru through cottage industries and livestock feed production.
Data from the Nuts and Oil Crops Directorate under AFA indicates that Kenya produces only 34 percent of its edible oils, with the deficit imported mainly from South Asia. The country’s import bill for edible oils is increasing by 15 percent annually due to rising demand. The project also aligns with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, aiming to reduce Kenya’s dependency on imports and promote employment and agro-processing. Over 50,000 farmers are expected to benefit from the initiative, with up to 60,000 acres set to be planted nationwide.
