The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) regulates, develops, and promotes the Nuts and Oil Crops Sub-sector under the Crops Act 2013, the AFA Act 2013, and the Crops (Nuts and Oil Crops) Regulations 2020.
Recent surveillance and stakeholder reports have revealed increasing malpractices in Kenya's macadamia industry, compromising the supply chain's integrity and the sector's reputation. These include harvesting, handling, trading, and processing of immature macadamia nuts, unauthorized trading by unlicensed individuals, and mixing rejected low-quality nuts with high-quality produce before resale. Additionally, the smuggling of macadamia nuts in-shell out of the country remains a significant issue.
The Agriculture and Food Authority Act prohibits the export of macadamia nuts in-shell unless authorized by the Cabinet Secretary. Additionally, Crops (Nuts and Oil Crops) Regulations 2020 mandates that all exports go through designated customs ports with permits applied for electronically via the KenTrade TFP Single-Window system. Macadamia nuts must be harvested, handled, and processed only when physiologically mature, as stipulated by Regulation 23 of the 2020 Regulations and Kenya Standards KS EAS 1169:2024 and KS 2958-1:2022.
All dealers, including collectors, transporters, distributors, buyers, exporters, and processors, must be registered with the Authority under Section 16(1) of the Crops Act 2013. Manufacturers and processors must also obtain a license as per Section 18(1).
To enforce these regulations, the AFA, in collaboration with County Governments, other government agencies, and law enforcement authorities, will intensify surveillance across macadamia-growing and trading regions, aggregation stores, processing facilities, and exit points. Violators engaging in unauthorized activities, handling immature nuts, operating without a valid license, or smuggling produce will face strict legal action, including license suspension or revocation and criminal prosecution.
The AFA urges all stakeholders—farmers, traders, processors, and exporters—to comply with these regulations to uphold the reputation, sustainability, and profitability of Kenya's macadamia industry.
For more information:
Agriculture and Food Authority
Tel: +254 700 638 672
Email: info@afa.go.ke
www.afa.go.ke