{"id":27563,"date":"2025-07-03T17:07:52","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T14:07:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/?p=27563"},"modified":"2025-07-04T14:09:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T11:09:42","slug":"jovico-palm-oil-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/jovico-palm-oil-production\/","title":{"rendered":"JOVICO Palm Oil Production"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"At this year\u2019s Pre-Devolution Conference Innovation Exhibition, one project stood out among the showcased agricultural innovations: the palm oil farming initiative in Siaya County<\/p>\n

Presented by Victor Otieno Maura, on behalf of Joint Venture In Community Organization (JOVICO) from Asongo village , Sigomre Ward, Ugunja Sub County, the project captivated delegates and visitors with its potential to transform livelihoods in Kenya\u2019s lowland regions, particularly Siaya County.<\/p>\n

The palm oil tree, scientifically known as Elaeis guineensis, is remarkable for both its resilience and productivity. A single tree yields two types of oil: palm oil from the fruit\u2019s flesh and palm kernel oil from the seed or kernel. These oils are widely used in cooking, cosmetics, soap production, and biofuels. A mature oil palm can be harvested three times a year, producing an average of eight bunches per harvest. Each bunch yields approximately three liters of oil, resulting in about 72 liters per tree annually.<\/p>\n

\"\"At a market price of Ksh. 1,000 per liter, a single tree can generate up to Ksh. 216,000 per year, making oil palm a highly profitable and sustainable crop for smallholder farmers. Oil palm is an emerging crop in Kenya with significant economic potential. Its high oil yields and resilience make it an attractive income source, especially in the coastal belt and sugar zones of western Kenya, where warm climates and consistent rainfall create ideal growing conditions.<\/p>\n

At the exhibition booth, Mr. Maura highlighted the versatility of palm oil. \u201cThe extracted oil is rich in vitamins A and E and can be used for cooking, soap, candles, and engine lubricants. The leaves are used for thatching houses, making brooms, and crafting baskets, while the tree itself enhances the aesthetic appeal of parks and highways,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Beyond its economic benefits, the project promotes environmental sustainability and food security. Palm oil trees require less maintenance than fruit crops like bananas, which need frequent pruning and spraying. Yields begin as early as 24 months after planting, allowing farmers to earn income from the first harvest while intercropping with maize, groundnuts, or legumes.<\/p>\n

Mr. Maura emphasized the crop\u2019s suitability for smallholder farmers, noting that palm oil thrives in slightly acidic, well-drained soils and requires only about 10 bags of fertilizer annually, nearly half the amount needed for other crops. \u201cIt\u2019s about providing farmers with a viable, environmentally friendly option,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"The project also encourages value addition, with palm oil used in cosmetics, detergents, lipsticks, makeup, and biofuels. Mr. Maura believes that with proper support and awareness, oil palm farming can address unemployment and boost local economies.<\/p>\n

JOVICO has employed 30 youths in various roles, including production, processing, basket weaving, and preparing compost manure from palm kernels.<\/p>\n

The Siaya County Government, through the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Food Security, and Blue Economy, encourages farmers to diversify their crops by embracing cash crops like palm oil, sun flower and coffee.<\/p>\n

During the innovation exhibition, the County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock, Food Security, and Blue Economy, Mr. Sylvester K\u2019Okoth, reaffirmed the Nyalore administration\u2019s commitment to supporting farmers in achieving food security. This is being pursued through strategic collaborations with the National Government and partners such as the Kenya Livestock Commercialization Project (KeLCoP) and Deutsche Gesellschaft f\u00fcr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), among others.<\/p>\n

The event hosted at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Stadium today was presided over by the Speaker of the County Assembly of Siaya Rt. Hon. George Okode who represented Governor James Orengo as the Chief Guest. The speaker was flanked by Members of the County Assembly ( MCAs) led by Majority Leader Hon. Martin Otieno ( Ugunja Ward) among others. The Executive side of the County Government was led by the County Secretary Mr. Joseph Ogutu flanked by County Executive Committee Members ( CECMs) Dr. Martin K'Onyango ( Health and Sanitation), Mr. Sylvester K'Okoth ( Agriculture, Livestock, Food Security and Blue Economy) and Mrs. Grace Agola ( Trade, Enterprise, Industrialization and Cooperatives), Chief Officers led by Hon. Walter Okelo ( Governance Administration and ICT) Dr. Samuel Omondi ( Health and Sanitation) and directors led by Director of Public Communication, Civic Education and Petitions Mr Chrispine Omondi alongside other staffs of the County Government of Siaya.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  At this year\u2019s Pre-Devolution Conference Innovation Exhibition, one project stood out among the showcased agricultural innovations: the palm oil farming initiative in Siaya County Presented by Victor Otieno Maura, on behalf of Joint Venture In Community Organization (JOVICO) from Asongo village , Sigomre Ward, Ugunja Sub County, the project captivated delegates and visitors with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":27564,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27563"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27563\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}