Likuyani: Sunflower farmers in Likuyani, Kakamega County, are appealing to the government for the swift completion of a processing plant that promises to provide a market for their produce. The farmers, whose crops are nearing harvest, are concerned about potential losses if the facility is not operational in time. According to Kenya News Agency, the farmers expressed their concerns, highlighting the urgency of the situation. Vincent Lugalo, a local farmer, anticipates harvesting approximately 600 kilograms of sunflower from his one-acre plot within the next month. Initially cultivating sunflowers for cattle fodder, Lugalo welcomed the government's proposal for a processing plant, which would offer a market for his produce and encourage him to expand his crop acreage. Similarly, Oliver Simwa, another farmer from Likuyani, has ventured into sunflower farming for the first time, cultivating two and a half acres. While hopeful about the government's promise of a market, Simwa is prepared to sell his produce to another farmer with processing facilities if the government plant remains incomplete by harvest time. He expressed optimism about the potential value chain opportunities once the facility is operational. The construction of the industrial park in Likuyani, launched by the government, comes with a hefty price tag of Sh. 500 million, jointly funded by the National Government and the Kakamega County government. President William Ruto, during the launch, emphasized the park's role in agro-processing and value addition for farmers' produce, which is expected to increase farmers' earnings and provide employment to over 1,000 youths in the area. To bolster sunflower cultivation, the Kakamega County Government distributed 18,600 kilograms of sunflower seeds to 9,200 farmers in August as part of the Edible Oil Crops Promotion Project. This initiative, in collaboration with the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), aims to cultivate sunflowers on over 5,000 acres in the county, with each acre receiving 3 kilograms of seeds. Lugalo and Simwa are among the beneficiaries of this seed distribution effort. Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa highlighted the initiative's potential, aiming for a yield of 6,440,000 kilograms of sunflower seeds post-harvest in December, which is expected to produce at least 1 million liters of oil worth over Sh. 200 million. The majority of this produce is slated for processing at the forthcoming County Aggregation and Industrial Park in Likuyani. The Kakamega Resource Mapping Report 2019 notes that sunflower farmers in the county have traditionally sold their produce to aggregators, individual buyers, or small-scale processors. The report by Nicky Consultants Limited on agricultural investment opportunities in Kakamega County underscores the farmers' desire to quickly sell their produce to prevent quality loss or contamination, with sunflower seed prices ranging from Sh. 25 to Sh. 35 per kilogram.