State plans certified date palm nurseries to expand date farming in ASALs

Dates palm crop 

The government, through the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), is pushing to promote date palm farming across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (Asals) as part of a broader plan to unlock climate-resilient, high-value agriculture.

Kenya has launched an initiative to develop a multi-billion shilling date palm industry in Asal regions, positioning the crop as a transformative one for climate resilience, food security and economic growth.

AFA director general Dr Bruno Linyiru said the initiative is partly aimed at establishing certified date palm nurseries, expanding irrigation infrastructure, training farmers on best production practices and developing processing, packaging and marketing hubs.

He made the remarks during a visit to Kutch Farm in Kibwezi, Makueni county, where Indian and Israeli date palm varieties were observed producing up to 200kgs of fruit per tree annually under trial conditions.

The visit comes at a critical time as climate change increasingly disrupts traditional farming systems, especially in Asal counties where communities are seeking resilient, high-value agricultural alternatives.

According to AFA, globally dates are a multi-billion dollar commodity dominated by producers such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Algeria and the United Arab Emirates, countries whose climatic conditions mirror Kenya’s northern drylands.

But despite having suitable conditions, Linyiru said Kenya produced only about 1,100kgs of dates in 2023 and spent over Sh359 million importing dates in 2024, highlighting a significant untapped opportunity for local value creation.

During the tour, delegates from the Council of Governors, along with technical teams from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro), examined an innovative intercropping model where date palms are grown alongside mangoes, citrus, okra and other horticultural crops to enhance land productivity and providing diversified incomes.

The experts noted that with proper establishment and water management, date palms can withstand extreme heat, tolerate saline soils and remain productive for decades, making them an attractive long-term investment for dryland households.

Linyiru said counties such as Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, Turkana, Garissa, Kitui, Tana River and Makueni stand to benefit significantly from commercial date farming.

He added that the crop has the potential to stabilise household incomes, reduce vulnerability to drought and open new export markets.

“Scaling up date palm production is now a strategic national priority. As climate patterns shift, Kenya must diversify. Date palms are a high-value, drought-tolerant crop perfectly suited for Asal regions. Our focus is to unlock quality planting material, strengthen value chains and support counties ready to scale,” Linyiru said.

The DG noted that the initiative aligns with the government’s agenda to promote high-value crops under the Frontier Counties Development Council framework.

He further pointed out that premium date varieties such as Medjool can fetch up to Sh1,200 per kilogramme on export markets and a well-managed one-hectare farm could generate between Sh3.4 million and Sh4.4 million annually once mature.

“If successfully implemented, date farming could transform from a niche crop into one of Kenya’s flagship dryland success stories, turning underutilised landscapes into engines of sustainable prosperity and positioning Asal counties as competitive players in the global date market,” he said.