Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe speaking in Meru on April 11, 2025 / MINISTRY OF AGRICULTUREAgriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe has warned miraa traders and exporters who are not complying with minimum prices issued by the ministry.
The CS said those who fail to comply with the prices will be delicenced in two weeks and will apply afresh, indicating the prices they will buy miraa from farmers.
Kagwe argued that air transport costs cannot be reason enough to not comply with the minimum prices per kilo for miraa.
The CS said he will engage relevant ministries on opening up the Somalia border for road transportation of the commodity, which was closed for security reasons.
“If you are saying that the price of transportation on a plane is high, we shall use lorries. We can use pick-ups. We are telling the miraa buyers that it is in your interest to pay the farmer what we have asked you. I announced the prices after a discussion with them,” the CS said.
“They came to the office, and after days of discussions, we agreed on the price that we shall use to buy miraa.”
The CS warned the miraa traders who are not willing to comply with the prices to find other businesses.
“As far as miraa is concerned, you will buy the price that we agreed, or else AFA will delicence you.”
Kagwe, who spoke during the farmers’ day event in Meru on Friday, announced plans to ban all chemicals that have been banned in countries of origin.
He said the Pest Control Products Board will be finalizing the list next week.
At the same time, Parliament has been urged to cease introducing or passing bills that are keen to add more boards or authorities in the agricultural sector.
Kagwe instead called on them to focus on the farmers’ interests.
On macadamia, the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has been directed to issue a circular to farmers on seedlings to be purchased.
The CS insisted that the ban on the exportation of raw macadamia will remain for Kenya's interests to be safeguarded.
Kagwe has, on several occasions, reaffirmed the government's commitment to protecting Kenya’s macadamia and tea sectors.
The CS said that the ban on the export of raw macadamia (in-shell) will remain in place to safeguard more than 200,000 jobs and boost local processing.
He emphasized that lifting the ban would hurt the macadamia value chain, contradicting the government's push for value addition and local industrial growth. The move, he said, will help revitalize the nuts and oil value chain.
“Between July 2023 and February 2025, Kenya earned Sh8.7 billion from exporting 10,670 tons of processed macadamia, compared to Sh2.3 billion from 14,384.6 tons of raw macadamia,” CS Kagwe said.
