Kenya has launched an aggressive push to build a billion-shilling date palm industry across its arid and semi-arid lands as top national and county officials ramp up efforts to commercialize one of the world’s most profitable dryland crops.
Officials say the renewed focus marks a turning point for ASAL agriculture, with counties now seeking alternatives that combine resilience, profitability and climate adaptation.
In a high-profile tour of Kutch Farm in Kibwezi, Makueni County, Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), Director General, Dr. Bruno Linyiru, Council of Governors (CoG) Chair and Wajir Governor H.E. Ahmed Abdullahi Jiira and technical teams from Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), inspected thriving Indian and Israeli date varieties in a mission aimed at accelerating Kenya’s entry into the global date value chain.
The delegation witnessed trees producing up to 200Kgs each and reviewed the full production cycle, from selecting male and female palms to pollination, irrigation, harvesting and value addition, underscoring the crop’s massive commercial promise for Kenya’s drylands.
The visit comes at a pivotal moment as climate change reshapes traditional production systems and communities in ASAL regions seek more resilient, income-generating alternatives.
Globally, dates are a multi-billion-dollar commodity dominated by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Algeria and the UAE—regions whose harsh heat and low humidity mirror conditions in northern Kenya.
Kenya, however, produced only 1,100 kilogrammes of dates in 2023 and spent more than KSh 359 million importing the fruit in 2024. Officials noted that these figures reveal one of the country’s biggest missed agricultural opportunities.
During the tour, experts at Kutch Farm demonstrated an innovative intercropping system where date palms grow alongside mangoes, pixies, oranges, okra and other horticultural crops.
“This model ensures farmers don’t rely on a single crop. It increases land productivity and guarantees year-round income,” explained a technical officer.
They further highlighted that date palms can tolerate extreme heat, saline soils and water scarcity, allowing them to produce commercially for decades.
For northern and eastern counties such as Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, Garissa, Turkana, Kitui, Tana River and Makueni, officials say the crop could reshape livelihoods by stabilizing incomes and reducing exposure to recurring drought.
Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi Jiira said the region is ready to scale up production, noting: “Counties in the ASAL belt have the climate conditions, the land and the willingness. What we need now is coordinated national support.”
Dr. Linyiru affirmed that national agencies are fully aligned with this agenda. “As climate patterns shift, Kenya must diversify,” he said. “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.”
With premium varieties like Medjool fetching up to KSh 1,200 per kilogramme on export markets, agricultural economists estimate that a well-managed one-hectare date farm can earn between KSh 3.4 million and KSh 4.4 million in annual profit once mature.
According to one agronomist, if farmers get the right seedlings and irrigation support, the crop can completely shift household economics in the drylands.
Momentum is growing toward setting up certified nurseries, expanding irrigation facilities, training farmers and establishing processing and packaging hubs that can anchor a competitive date value chain.
If these efforts take hold, Kenya could transform vast dryland landscapes into productive agricultural zones and position ASAL counties as emerging players in the global date industry.
