Edible Oil Crops Promotion Project

The Edible Oil Crops Project is funded by the government of Kenya Directly from treasury and from Appropriations in Aid (A in A) from the Nuts and Oil Crops Directorate from industry levies. The project is expected to contribute towards employment creation in a number of areas, including seed distribution, aggregation and value addition. As part of project interventions, existing youth and women groups will be strengthened through capacity building to take advantage of the opportunities to be availed in the project. The direct beneficiaries among youth and women are estimated to be 5,000 in the targeted 15 counties. Additionally, 50,000 direct and 200,000 indirect jobs will be generated along the value chains from input suppliers, farmers, traders and processors and consumers during the next 5 years. The country will also benefit through KES 25 Billion anticipated Forex savings from reduced importation of edible oil. Overall the expected results and economic outcomes from the development of the edible oil subsector in Kenya include; 200,000 households as indirect beneficiaries. The overall objective of this project is to contribute to an innovative, commercially oriented and edible oil crops subsector.

The specific project objectives are:

1. To contribute to the domestic production and productivity of edible oil crops.
2. To enhance cottage level processing for sunflower, canola, soya and coconut in the select counties.
3. To improve the enabling environment for a sustainable and inclusive edible oil crops value chains.

The outcomes of the project are:

1. Increased the domestic production and productivity of edible oil crops.
2. Enhanced cottage processing for sunflower, canola, soya and coconut in the select counties
3. Improved regulations, legislations and policies governing the edible oil crops subsector value chains.

The crops targeted in the project include: coconut, soybean, sunflower and canola.

AFA, through Nuts and oil Crops Directorate is implementing an edible oil crops promotion project. The project seeks to support availability of affordable and quality inputs, technical support on production, as well as promoting cottage level processing. Sunflower which is 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.