Kenya has unveiled an ambitious national strategy to develop a billion-shilling date palm industry across its arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs).
The plan is a decisive step toward turning one of the world’s most profitable dryland crops into a major driver of rural prosperity.
In a high-profile tour of Kutch Farm in Kibwezi, Makueni County, senior national and county leaders, including Agriculture and Food Authority Director General Dr Bruno Linyiru, Council of Governors Chair and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi Jiir, and technical teams from KEPHIS and KALRO, inspected thriving Indian and Israeli date palm varieties.
The mission aims to fast-track Kenya’s entry into the global date value chain at a time when climate change is pressuring ASAL communities to adopt more resilient and commercially viable crops.
Globally, the date industry is dominated by countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Algeria and the UAE, regions whose hot, dry, low-humidity climates closely mirror northern Kenya.
Yet despite having ideal conditions, Kenya produced only 1,100 kilograms of dates in 2023 while spending more than KSh 359 million on imports in 2024.
Officials say this mismatch represents one of Kenya’s most significant untapped agricultural opportunities.
During the visit, the delegation reviewed an innovative intercropping model in which date palms are grown alongside mangoes, pixies, oranges, okra and other horticultural crops, enhancing land productivity and diversifying farmers’ income streams.
Experts noted that with proper establishment and water management, date palms can withstand extreme heat, thrive in saline soils, and remain commercially productive for decades, making them one of the most reliable long-term investments for households in dryland areas.
For counties such as Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, Turkana, Garissa, Kitui, Tana River and Makueni, officials believe scaling up commercial date farming could help stabilise incomes, reduce vulnerability to drought, and unlock new export markets.
Dr Linyiru said the government is now positioning date palms as a strategic national crop:
“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.”
The initiative aligns with the government’s ongoing push to promote high-value crops under the Frontier Counties Development Council (FCDC).
Premium varieties like Medjool can fetch up to KSh 1,200 per kilogram on export markets, and a well-managed one-hectare farm has the potential to generate between KSh 3.4 million and KSh 4.4 million annually once mature, positioning date farming as a transformative agribusiness opportunity.
Momentum is now building toward developing certified nurseries, expanding irrigation networks, establishing farmer-training programs, and creating processing and packaging hubs to make Kenya a competitive player in the regional date industry.
If successful, officials say the plan could turn date farming from a small-scale niche crop into one of Kenya’s flagship dryland success stories, transforming vast underutilised landscapes into engines of sustainable prosperity and elevating ASAL counties into future leaders of the global date market.