Harvesting season for mature macadamia nuts for this year begins on Saturday, March 1st, 2025, Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced Thursday.
CS Kagwe, however, retained the current ban on the export of all raw, in-shell nuts, maintaining that the government's policy stance is well-meaning and informed by a commitment to ensuring that the industry adheres to the law, as enunciated in the Agricultural Food Authority (AFA) Act, the Oil Crops (Nuts and Crops) Regulations of 2020, and various other national, regional and international obligations.
In a meeting Thursday with the Macadamia stakeholder, the CS noted that the foregoing will not be achieved with a group pushing for the export of in-shell nuts but through a unified and holistic approach to turn the threats into opportunities. "I want to passionately plead with all Macadamia farmers to register under the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management System (KIAMIS) so that the government, farmers, development partners and the private sector are better able to plan for the sector," he said.
AFA, Kagwe explained, shall coordinate with the county governments to support farmers in rolling out the formation of groups for the sector through such initiatives as the e-Extension service, subsidised fertiliser and real-time market information, and an organised farm base will make it easier to engage and support them.
