President William Ruto declared cocoa a scheduled cash crop for the first time in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, during Mazingira Day celebrations at Elgon Downs in Endebess on 10 October 2026.

The government will distribute cocoa seedlings to interested farmers, with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) having already prepared the planting material.

Seedlings are priced at Ksh200 each, and the president indicated that subsidies could be allocated to ensure affordability for all citizens.

KALRO will partner with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) to scale up seedling production for farmers in the designated cocoa zones.

Farmers in areas identified as suitable for cocoa cultivation are urged to prepare for the rollout and consider adding the crop to diversify their income streams.

The initiative follows the November 2024 decision to classify cocoa, along with mung beans, jute and cocoyam, as scheduled crops under Kenya’s agricultural diversification strategy.

Classifying cocoa as a scheduled crop provides a regulatory framework for its production, marketing and trade, backed by specialised policies and support mechanisms.

Kenya currently ranks 26th globally in cocoa output, exporting roughly Ksh2.45 billion worth of cocoa in 2022, with a notable 80 % year‑on‑year rise in shipments to Indonesia.