Senate Bill seeks to make oil, nut crops farming lucrative
By Rawlings, October 31, 2023
Oil and nut crop farmers will increase their produce and earnings if the Senate approves a new bill.
The Nuts and Oil Crops Development Bill, 2023, which is sponsored by Nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana, seeks to make the sector profitable and sustainable.
“The bill proposes to provide an avenue for appreciating the medicinal, aesthetic, touristic and artistic value of various nuts and oil crops by encouraging value addition in the processing of nuts and its products,” the bill states.
The nuts and oil crops include coconut, cashew nuts, macadamia, ground nuts, castor beans, sunflower and oil seed jojoba.
Also listed are shied safflower, sesame, linseed, oil Palm and bambara nut and such other crops as may be gazetted by the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary.
Hamida in her proposed law, seeks to have the Nuts and Oil Crops Development Board which will be charged with the responsibility of regulating and promoting the development of the nuts and oil crop industry.
The proposed law, which is has been introduced in the Senate for first reading stipulates that the Board, shall, besides regulating the sector, promote the marketing of nuts and oil crops products and by-products in local and foreign markets.
International markets
Among the functions of the board will be to preserve the competitiveness and reliability of the country as a producer and supplier of nuts and oil crop products by establishing national acceptable standards acceptable in the international markets.
It will also have the mandate of promoting diversification of nuts and oil crop products and by-products.
“The Board shall make recommendations to the Cabinet Secretary and oversee the implementation of strategies, plans and policy relating to the nut and oil crop sector,” the Bill states.
The Bill mandates county governments to implement the National Government policy relating to the nuts and oil crop sector and maintain a register of nuts and oil crop growers, nursery operators, processors, cooperatives and other associations.