The Kenyan government has temporarily lifted the ban on export of raw macadamia nuts, which was in place since 2015, to offer the growers better prices. According to Moses Kuria, Cabinet Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industrialization, the ban will be lifted for one year to open up the market to global buyers, a move that will see growers fetch more from their produce.
Kuria yesterday stated: “We are lifting the ban on the exportation of raw macadamia nuts for one year to bring into the country other buyers from all over the world. This will open the markets for competitiveness allowing farmers to sell to the highest buyers.”
Macadamia growers last year earned Sh4 billion from owning to increased production, according to the Nuts Traders Association of Kenya. Kenya has over 20 licensed processors with a capacity of 80,000 tons. There are approximately 6,000 macadamia farmers in the country, with the majority coming from the Mount Kenya region.
[ Sh100 = €0.68 ]
Source: farmersreviewafrica.com