The volume of Kenya’s miraa exports to its primary market in Somalia dipped 16.9 percent during the first half of this year to 1.7 million kilogrammes down from 2.1 million kilos in a similar period last year, reeling from heightened competition from Ethiopian producers.
The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) notes that the export business also took a hit from market restrictions in the Horn of Africa nation.
“Miraa exports to Somalia fell amid heightened Ethiopian competition. Miraa remains a key economic crop in Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi, supporting thousands of farmers, traders and transporters. It is consumed locally and exported, mainly to Somalia, despite market restrictions,” said AFA.
AFA data shows that during the review period, the lowest volume exported was in February at 199,860 kilos, with the highest being in May at 356,427 kilos.
The stiff competition against Kenya’s miraa follows a decision by Somalia in 2023 to grant Ethiopia 10 days of exclusive Miraa market access each month. At the time, Kenyan farmers had protested Somalia’s move, arguing that Ethiopia should have competed openly and fairly with the Kenyan product.
Ethiopia, on its part, had petitioned Somalia to grant it protection in trading the product, arguing that Kenya had monopolised the Miraa trade in Somalia.
Kenya resumed miraa exports to Somalia in 2022 following the lifting of a two-year ban by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, coming at the tail end of talks with his then-Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta.
Exports to Somalia were initially capped at 19 tonnes a day when the ban was lifted, before being increased to 50 tonnes daily.
Kenya produces about 32,000 tonnes of Miraa annually, valued at Sh13.1 billion. About 80 percent of the crop is sold to local consumers while 20 percent is exported.
Somalia is the main destination of miraa exports from Kenya, buying 99 percent of the exported crop.
In July this year, AFA announced that Kenyan farmers had secured the Djibouti market for Miraa exports following a trade mission to the East African peer and a reciprocal visit by a Djibouti delegation to Kenya in November last year.
Miraa is mainly grown in Mt Kenya East, with 65 percent of growers coming from Meru, according to AFA. The total acreage under the crop is 55,281 acres, with Meru and Embu accounting for 88.4 percent of the total acreage. Other top growers include Kirinyaga, Tharaka Nithi, and Marsabit.
