Commodities

Bid to end immature macadamia harvest

nuts

Good prices and high demand has seen production of macadamia go up over the years as farmers put additional acreage under the cover of the crop. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has deployed a multi-agency security force in parts of central Kenya to contain picking of immature macadamia as demand soars following a moratorium on harvesting.

The agency, which manages macadamia under Nuts and Oil Crops Directorate, stopped harvesting of nuts last year through a notice, and the exercise is expected to resume from February 15 ending November.

The move, according to the Acting Director-General Anthony Muriithi, is meant to protect the quality of nuts and protect farmers’ earnings.

“We have enhanced surveillance in the region to ensure that unscrupulous traders do not get a chance to harvest raw nuts and compromise the quality,” said Mr Muriithi.

Mr Muriithi said the directorate is going to revoke the license of the processors who will be found to be buying immature nuts.

In 2017 macadamia farmers lost Sh680 million in just a span of one year to processors who harvested immature nuts to cash in on high demand. Processors lured farmers into harvesting the nuts and end up rejecting over 10 per cent of the crop supplied.

Kenya’s macadamia is highly sought-after both locally and internationally because of its crunchiness, leading to high demand that has seen high cases of smuggling by unscrupulous traders.

Good prices and high demand has seen production of macadamia go up over the years as farmers put additional acreage under the cover of the crop.

The directorate notes the entry of more players has resulted in higher demand for the nuts, prompting players to offer competitive prices to obtain the raw material.

In 2017, production stood at 41,614 tonnes compared with 39,821 tonnes realised in 2016. The area currently covered by the crop is estimated at 16,153 hectares, which is an increase from 15,512 hectares reported in 2016.