Economy

Body seeks to regulate miraa exports

miraa

A miraa farmer sorts his crop in Mbeere constituency before its transported for export. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) will Tuesday meet miraa exporters in bid to streamline the export of the herb that has for long been unregulated.

In a letter to exporters, Miraa, Pyrethrum and other Industrial Crops Directorate head Clement Muyesu said the meeting is in line with the Miraa Taskforce Report Implementation Committee’s efforts to recover lost markets and establish new ones.

The exporters will hold a consultative meeting with government agencies at Kilimo House (Agriculture ministry headquarters) as part of the technical committee’s bid to lobby for wider markets in the region and internationally.

There are about 10 miraa exporters in the country with Somalia being the largest miraa export market, taking in about 50 tonnes of miraa daily, valued at about Sh100 million. Other export markets take about four tonnes in a week.

Miraa accounts for about 90 percent of all Kenyan exports to Somalia. Data by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics indicate that Kenya exported goods worth about Sh16 billion to Somalia last year.

Nyambene Miraa traders Association spokesman Kimathi Munjuri said that AFA is expected to enlighten exporters on licensing and standards required in export of fresh produce.

“Since miraa is a scheduled crop, it is expected that anyone dealing in miraa must be licensed by AFA. This will ensure that standards meant for export of fresh produce are adhered to from the farm to the market,” Mr Munjuri said.

He said there was need for the government to put in more resources towards improving production through water supply, ensure hygienic handling of Miraa and adherence to standards, to meet international market standards.

Recently, Trade secretary Peter Munya said the Kenya Bureau of Standards was developing standards for the crop while the ministry had included miraa in the national export strategy.