Concerned parties in Kenya's macadamia sector are worried that huge quantities of the immature crop being bought by brokers might compromise quality of the produce in the international markets. Currently, brokers are buying the nuts at as low as Sh50 a kilo and stockpiling the produce, waiting for the start of the harvesting season in March and offload the produce at large profits.
At peak harvesting season between March and July, a kilo goes for as high as Sh170 with prices hitting their highest at Sh200 in 2019. Meru Macadamia Farmers Association chairman Joshua Muriira said growers, desperate for money to take their children to school, were selling their immature nuts to brokers at less than Sh70 a kilo.
“We cannot tell them not to sell because they need the money. The challenge we have is that farmers cannot access credit with their produce before it is ready for harvesting,” Mr Muriira said.
Processors sounded the alarm after they rejected several consignments of the crop mainly sourced from Meru and Embu.
[ Sh100 = €0,78 ]
Source: businessdailyafrica.com