Makueni: At least 6,000 farmers have been registered to plant sunflowers in Makueni County, Department of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries Executive Committee Member (ECM) Joyce Mutua has said.
According to Kenya News Agency, Makueni has been identified as a key county for sunflower cultivation. The National Government, through the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), has donated 14 metric tonnes of sunflower seed for distribution to local farmers. These seeds will be allocated to farmers in the Kilome, Makueni, and Kibwezi Subcounties, with an assurance from the government to supply more seeds if required.
Joyce Mutua, speaking at the Agricultural Training Centre (ATC) Kwa Kathoka, emphasized the strategic importance of this initiative. She highlighted the national expenditure on imported cooking oil and explained the government’s plan to reduce this dependency by growing sunflowers locally. A machine to crush sunflower seeds and produce cooking oil will also be provided, enabling farmers to convert
their crops into finished products and take cooking oil home.