Editor's Review

The president outlined plans to have everyone get seedlings.

President William Ruto has launched cocoa as a scheduled cash crop in Kenya, urging farmers in areas earmarked for its cultivation to start growing it as part of the country's tree-planting drive.

While presiding over the Mazingira Day celebrations in Endebess, Trans Nzoia County, on Saturday, October 10, the president distributed cocoa seedlings to farmers, marking the start of growing the crop in the country.

He said the aim is to plant trees that protect the environment while earning farmers an income.

Calling on farmers to get ready, the president said cocoa is more than a cash crop.

"Start preparing yourselves. From cocoa, we can produce beverage mixes, food items, chocolate, and many other products. For that reason, I urge Kenyans in areas mapped out for cocoa cultivation to take up farming it, because it is also a tree. As we reforest our country, we can simultaneously boost our incomes," he said.

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He said the crop serves two purposes.

President William Ruto plants a tree during Mazingira Day celebrations in Endebess, Trans Nzoia County.

It can feed a range of processed products, and, because cocoa is a tree, it supports Kenya's reforestation efforts while putting money in farmers' pockets.

Cocoa is the seed of a tropical tree.

The seeds are fermented, dried and ground to form the base of chocolate.

Africa grows about 70% of the world's supply, with Côte d'Ivoire leading at roughly 40 per cent of global beans. Ghana follows closely, then Cameroon and Nigeria.

Ruto spelt out how the government intends to get the crop to farmers.

"We are launching cocoa as a scheduled cash crop, and we are distributing seedlings immediately. Our teams at KALRO have conducted research and already have seedlings available, and we will now form a partnership between KEPHIS and KALRO to produce a sufficient supply of cocoa seedlings for everyone," he said.

The president said the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) has already done the research and has seedlings available.

A partnership with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) will now be formed to produce enough seedlings for all interested farmers.

Smaller producers have also carved out a place in the cocoa trade.

São Tomé and Príncipe and Madagascar harvest modest volumes, but chocolatiers prize their fine-flavour beans. In East Africa, Uganda and Tanzania are expanding their cocoa sectors, a trend Kenya now joins.