By Lamu Reporter
The national government, through the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), has officially commissioned a new edible oil processing facility in Lamu, aimed at reducing the country’s heavy reliance on imported cooking oils.
Speaking during the launch of the Common User Facility in Mpeketoni that is set to benefit at least 20,000 farmers in Lamu, the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Agriculture, Dr. Paul Kiprono Rono stated that the facility is a core component of the Edible Oil Promotion Project, a national initiative designed to revitalize the domestic production and processing of oil crops such as sunflower, soybeans, groundnuts, and cotton.
He further revealed that the newly installed Common User Facility (CUF) features a modern oil processing machine with a daily capacity to crush 5 metric tonnes of oil seeds and refine 500 litres of oil.
The PS for Agriculture emphasized that the project’s success hinges on farmer participation and further appealed to local farmers to increase cultivation of high-yielding oil crop varieties and to make maximum use of the new facility.
“We urge our farmers to see this as a direct opportunity to increase their income,” Dr Rono said.
As a CUF, the plant will be accessible to local farmers and cooperatives on a shared basis, eliminating the prohibitive cost of individual investment in processing equipment.
Also speaking during the launch,PS for Trade and Investment Abubakar Hassan Abubakar stated that the edible processing plant facility is part of the national government’s initiative to set up five facilities of a similar magnitude have been completed, at an approximate cost of 107 million shillings across various counties in the country.
The Government intends to replicate these facilities across 14 other counties: Kilifi, Kwale, Taita taveta, Makueni, Meru, Nyeri, Nakuru, Eldoret, Uasin Gishu, Kakamega, Bungoma, Saiya, HomaBay and Migori county.
“With this project the national government reaffirms its commitment to the successful implementation of the Edible Oil Promotion Project across the country that is meant to catalyse for agricultural transformationPS by way of promoting local production and value addition with various agricultural products in a bid to build a more resilient and prosperous agricultural sector.” Abubakar said.
He further said that the Lamu CUF is seen as a pilot model that could be replicated in other counties with high potential for oil crop production.
The PS for Trade and Investments further stated that if successful, the nationwide project aims to significantly cut the import bill for edible oils, enhance rural livelihoods, and strengthen Kenya’s food security.
Kenya currently imports a substantial portion of its edible oils, expending valuable foreign exchange and exposing consumers to volatile global market prices.
