The government is championing sunflower farming as a key agricultural sector. During a recent visit to a sunflower oil processing cottage factory in Nambale, Busia County, Principal Secretary for the State Department of MSMEs, Susan Mang’eni, called on farmers, cooperatives, agripreneurs, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to actively engage in cultivating and processing edible oil crops.
Speaking at the Daljeet Wirk Food Processors facility, Mang’eni highlighted Busia’s favorable climate, fertile soils, and vibrant farming communities as ideal conditions to lead Kenya’s transformation towards edible oil self-sufficiency. “Kenya faces a critical shortage of raw materials for edible oil processing, resulting in billions of shillings spent annually on imports. It is imperative that we harness regions like Busia to drive this change,” she emphasized.
The country’s edible oil consumption currently stands at an estimated 900,000 metric tonnes annually, with domestic production accounting for only about 80,000 metric tonnes. Consequently, Kenya spends between KSh 100 billion and KSh 160 billion each year importing edible oils, making it the country’s second-largest import after petroleum products.
This government initiative is part of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which focuses on empowering MSMEs, enhancing value addition, and promoting food security and rural economic growth. The initiative aims not only to reduce import dependency but also to create sustainable income streams for rural households.
The sunflower oil processing factory visited by Mang’eni exemplifies the potential of this sector. The facility produces high-quality cooking oil for local consumption and innovatively utilizes waste from the processing to manufacture chicken feed, creating an additional income source for the business. This dual-impact approach underlines how sunflower farming and processing can contribute significantly to household incomes and the broader economy.
As Kenya works towards self-reliance in edible oils, regions like Busia are poised to become vital contributors to national food security and economic development through sunflower farming. The government’s push encourages all stakeholders to seize the opportunity presented by this promising, high-return agricultural sector.
