State Department For Irrigation is Now Geared upon Irrigated Farming For Palm Oil to Reduce Import Bill for Edible Oil in Kenya

Principal Secretary, State Department for Irrigation held consultative discussions with investors from the world’s largest palm oil producer and a team from the Presidential Council of Economic Advisors.

The discussion centered on a long-term plan to stabilize edible oil prices in Kenya by focusing on irrigated farming of palm oil. The PS highlighted that Kenya currently imports over 90 percent of its vegetable oils despite having the capacity to produce these oils locally. He highlighted that edible oil, especially palm oil, is one of our largest imports after petroleum and large scale irrigated farming of palm oil can be game changer.

A team from presidential council of economic advisors highlighted that Kenya Kwanza Manifesto has identified edible oil as a priority in its value chain approach to promoting local manufacturing and State Department for Irrigation can play a critical role in facilitating largescale irrigated farming of palm oil.

The team are optimistic that these initial discussions that mark the beginning of what will become a comprehensive engagement involving research institutions, the national government, county governments, and the private sector.

Kenya has immense potential to reduce its reliance on imported foods, particularly edible oils, which can be competitively produced locally. They were hopeful that investing in irrigated palm oil farming will provide a sustainable solution to the external shocks that often disrupt edible oil supply, contributing to inflation and periodic spikes in the cost of living.

Moving forward the team is committed to engaging all stakeholders to drive economic growth by creating jobs, reducing the import bill, and supporting agriculture and local manufacturing to alleviate the cost of living for all Kenyans.