Macadamia farmers and traders are embroiled in a row over the export of raw nuts even as a government ban remains in place.
Macadamia Nut Association (MACNUT) has declared support for the government’s ban, while The Nut Traders Association of Kenya (NUTAK) contends that the ban disproportionately favours processors.
According to MACNUT the move to stop raw imports could inject over $80 million (Sh10.34 billion) into the economy and create 30,000 jobs.
The tussle comes just when the nut is ripe and ready for harvesting.
“We urge the government to maintain its policy on raw macadamia exports to protect local processing industries. This action is vital for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector, safeguarding jobs, and maintaining Kenya’s competitive edge in the global market,” MACNUT stated in a statement.
However, NUTAK contends that the ban favours processors and is eating into government revenue.
They said that traders awaiting export licences are currently stuck with containers of nuts in warehouses, which is bad for the sector and the economy.
NUTAK chairperson Johnson Kihara said he delay to grant export permits exportation of the in-shell nuts is denying the government billions of shillings in revenue as a container was charged Sh53,000.
However MACNUT chairperson, Jane Maigua maintained that the government had lost $20 million (Sh2.5 billion) from the export of raw unprocessed.
She said that raw nut exports primarily benefit traders, limiting job creation and farmer income, and are often linked to unethical practices like underreporting export volumes and selling substandard nuts.
Kenya currently ranks third globally in macadamia production and revenue but faces risks to its market position due to internal disputes.
