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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 27328, member: 2262"] Kenya's macadamia farmers and the Macadamia Nut Processors Association of Kenya have challenged claims that government rules caused prices to fall from 150 to 90 shillings. Jane Maigua, who heads MACNUT, said these rules actually help farmers earn at least 100 shillings per kilo. She blamed these rumors on brokers who had stored raw nuts they wanted to sell overseas. Maigua talked about this after a three-day meeting in Diani, Kwale, where they looked at rules from Agriculture Minister Mutahi Kagwe. The group urged farmers to back the government ban on shipping raw nuts because it creates local jobs. They warned about tricky dealers who cause problems to take advantage of farmers. They also asked farmers not to sell nuts before they ripen fully because that hurts Kenya's quality standing and can lead to price drops or bans from European markets. The official time to harvest ripe macadamia nuts began March 1, 2025. Minister Kagwe confirmed the ban on shipping raw and unshelled nuts will stay. He said this policy follows the Agricultural Food Authority rules, the 2020 Oil Crops Regulations, and many other national and international guidelines. He emphasized that success requires everyone to work together instead of just some people pushing to ship nuts in shells. Kagwe asked all macadamia farmers to register with the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management System. This system helps everyone plan better for the future of farming. The Agricultural Food Authority plans to work with county governments to help farmer groups through online training, cheaper fertilizer, and up-to-date market information. James Muturi, who leads the Agriculture CECM's Caucus for all 47 counties, stressed that both national and local governments must enforce the ban on raw macadamia exports to China. He noted that local processors can handle more nuts than farmers currently grow, which should boost production and help the economy by adding value locally. [/QUOTE]

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