Macadamia farmers can now heave a sigh of relief after prices started to stabilise.
The farmers in Gatundu North, Kiambu county, led by Mwaura Macharia, say there is hope in reviving the industry. They said prices are gradually increasing, with kilogramme of raw nuts now going for Sh85.
The prices had drastically dropped since last year when a kilogramme of the nuts was sold at between Sh20 and Sh30, which made the farmers lose hope in the once lucrative sector.
"If proper policies and good markets are put in place, then the prices will stabilise. This will go a long way in creating job opportunities for the youth and eradicating poverty in the country since most farmers will have a reliable source of income," Macharia said.
The farmers called on the government to effect the ban on exportation of raw macadamia nuts to improve prices and boost earnings.
They said that since the ban was lifted by then Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria in April last year, macadamia prices have dropped to a low ever recorded.
The ban has been in effect since November 2011 during the time of then Agriculture Minister William Ruto, who is now President.
The farmers said that the prices have dropped from Sh200 to Sh30 per kilogramme, something that has dealt them a huge blow.
“The market has deteriorated since the ban was lifted and most processors who used to buy the nuts at competitive prices have shut down," Monica Gathoni, a farmer, said during a visit to her farm in Ngorongo village.
She said that farmers have been left at the mercies of brokers who are buying the nuts at throwaway prices. She said they have now resorted to hawking the nuts because they have no proper markets to sell them.
Gathoni said the ban and poor regulation of the industry has continued to impoverish them. She said most farmers in the region are contemplating cutting down their macadamia trees and replacing them with seasonal crops.
She added that the unending price wars between the Kenyan and overseas macadamia markets, lack of farm inputs, cartels running the sector and monopoly of the produce buyers have added to their woes.
Farmer Martin Njenga said that deterioration of the industry has seen thousands lose jobs in the farms and in the processing plants, a matter that needs serious government attention.
“For the last one decade I have never seen macadamia nuts being hawked. Macadamia had even overtaken tea and coffee as a top income earner for farmers and even for the country. Killing this industry will be detrimental to the economy,” he said.
The farmers faulted the government for failing to engage stakeholders in the industry -traders and processors - saying it was a mistake to overlook their input on a matter that is sensitive to thousands.
"The government should reach out and listen to farmers so as to understand the challenges. This will help the state in making proper policies to regulate the industry for the benefit of farmers and our economy," the farmers' representative Macharia said.