OMG, you won't believe this! Agriculture and Livestock Development CS Mutahi Kagwe just dropped a bombshell about the macadamia nut industry in Kenya. He announced that the harvesting season for those delicious, mature macadamia nuts is set to kick off on March 1, 2025. But wait, there's more!
Kagwe is not messing around when it comes to the export of raw and in-shell nuts. He's keeping the current ban in place, and he's not afraid to say it's for the best. The government is all about making sure the industry sticks to the rules, and they've got the AFA Act and the Oil Crops Regulations of 2020 to back them up.
Some might be pushing for the export of in-shell nuts, but Kagwe says that's not the way to go. He wants everyone to work together to turn those threats into opportunities. And get this: He's calling on all macadamia farmers to sign up for the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management System (KIAMIS). That way, the government, farmers, and the private sector can better plan for the industry's future.
AFA is stepping up to the plate, too. They're going to work with the county governments to help farmers form groups and access all sorts of cool stuff like e-extension services, cheap fertilizer, and real-time market information. Kagwe says an organized farm base will make it much easier to support the farmers.
But that's not all, folks! AFA is also putting together a Macadamia Nuts Standing Committee to keep everyone in line and ensure Kenya's macadamia nuts are the best in the world. The committee will introduce traceability, crack down on non-compliance, and ensure Kenya's macadamia nuts are the hottest thing on the market.
Kenya is already the third-biggest producer of macadamia nuts in the world, but Kagwe says they could lose that spot if the industry doesn't get its act together. He's all about protecting the farmers, boosting quality and quantity, and creating jobs for locals.
The industry has been fighting the ban that AFA implemented in September 2024, but the government is not backing down. They're even going to investigate any potential smuggling of in-shell macadamia nuts.
The meeting was packed with big shots from the agriculture world, including the Principal Secretary State Department for Agriculture, Kipronoh Ronoh, AFA Director General Bruno Linyiru, and representatives from the Macadamia Nut Processors Association of Kenya and the Nut Processors Association of Kenya.
They're not messing around when it comes to quality control, either. The directorate is going to do mandatory inspections of macadamia shipments and enforce a zero-tolerance policy on poor-quality nuts. They're even going to set up a standardization system for assessing nut quality and develop guidelines for using X-ray scanners.
So there you have it, folks! The macadamia nut industry in Kenya is about to get a major shake-up, and Kagwe and his team are leading the charge. Stay tuned for more juicy details as this story develops!
Kagwe is not messing around when it comes to the export of raw and in-shell nuts. He's keeping the current ban in place, and he's not afraid to say it's for the best. The government is all about making sure the industry sticks to the rules, and they've got the AFA Act and the Oil Crops Regulations of 2020 to back them up.
Some might be pushing for the export of in-shell nuts, but Kagwe says that's not the way to go. He wants everyone to work together to turn those threats into opportunities. And get this: He's calling on all macadamia farmers to sign up for the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management System (KIAMIS). That way, the government, farmers, and the private sector can better plan for the industry's future.
AFA is stepping up to the plate, too. They're going to work with the county governments to help farmers form groups and access all sorts of cool stuff like e-extension services, cheap fertilizer, and real-time market information. Kagwe says an organized farm base will make it much easier to support the farmers.
But that's not all, folks! AFA is also putting together a Macadamia Nuts Standing Committee to keep everyone in line and ensure Kenya's macadamia nuts are the best in the world. The committee will introduce traceability, crack down on non-compliance, and ensure Kenya's macadamia nuts are the hottest thing on the market.
Kenya is already the third-biggest producer of macadamia nuts in the world, but Kagwe says they could lose that spot if the industry doesn't get its act together. He's all about protecting the farmers, boosting quality and quantity, and creating jobs for locals.
The industry has been fighting the ban that AFA implemented in September 2024, but the government is not backing down. They're even going to investigate any potential smuggling of in-shell macadamia nuts.
The meeting was packed with big shots from the agriculture world, including the Principal Secretary State Department for Agriculture, Kipronoh Ronoh, AFA Director General Bruno Linyiru, and representatives from the Macadamia Nut Processors Association of Kenya and the Nut Processors Association of Kenya.
They're not messing around when it comes to quality control, either. The directorate is going to do mandatory inspections of macadamia shipments and enforce a zero-tolerance policy on poor-quality nuts. They're even going to set up a standardization system for assessing nut quality and develop guidelines for using X-ray scanners.
So there you have it, folks! The macadamia nut industry in Kenya is about to get a major shake-up, and Kagwe and his team are leading the charge. Stay tuned for more juicy details as this story develops!
