Farmers in Busia have been encouraged to embrace the cultivation of palm trees as one of the ways to increase the local production of edible oil in the country.
The KALRO Alupe Agricultural and Livestock Research Institute is now in the process of producing 2.5 million palm seedlings for the project.The institute has 100,000 palm seedlings planted so far ready for sale to farmers. Lessons on palm farming are ongoing in the Agricultural and Livestock Training Institute located in Teso South Constituency.
The Institute has a hundred thousand palm seedlings planted so far, ready for sale to farmers.
Workers work daily to put soil on these sheets, plant palm trees, apply fertilizer, and spray water on the seedlings.
The director of the Institute, Patrice Mudavadi, say the type of palm seeds suit the region urging farmers embrace the project.
“Kenya has been importing edible oils. But through this project, we hope that we can be able to be self-sufficient and even supply to the external market,” Patrice said.
Market planting of palm oil will greatly benefit Kenyans, considering that Kenya has been buying the oil from foreign countries.
Mary Muthoni
