Kenya’s macadamia backlog forces review of export ban as farmers count mounting losses

KENYA – Macadamia growers have renewed calls for government intervention to address sector challenges, including a possible temporary suspension of the ban on exporting raw in-shell nuts, as farmers struggle with growing stockpiles of unsold produce.

To begin with, the primary causes of the macadamia backlog crisis are limited processing capacity at local facilities, which cannot handle current harvest volumes, and the existing ban on raw nut exports, intended to boost domestic processing.

According to Mt Kenya Macadamia Cooperative Society chairman Gitonga Gathua, growers are facing difficulties because processors and traders cannot purchase nuts from farmers due to these capacity constraints.

Statistics from the Agriculture and Food Authority indicate that a significant share of current produce remains with farmers, creating financial strain across the sector. “Farmers are crying because a lot of nuts are still lying in stores and on farms,” Gathua said. “They need to sell and get money.”

Recommendations from the stakeholders’ meeting at KALRO Seeds in Thika will be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture. “It has been extensively discussed, and suggestions have been made that it may be useful to suspend the ban for at least six months to clear the backlog,” Gathua said.

Prolonged storage significantly affects macadamia nut quality, with nuts at risk of becoming mouldy the longer they remain in stores. “The longer the nuts remain in stores, the more they risk getting mouldy, which will affect both farmers and processors,” Gathua warned. This quality degradation reduces the value of nuts for both domestic processing and potential exports.

Acting AFA Director John Athola acknowledged the challenges facing growers and saidefforts are underway to improve market access and financing. “The government is working on providing adequate financing to processors so they can buy nuts directly from farmers, while also partnering with county governments to promote value addition and strengthen the sector’s competitiveness,” Athola said.

The current crisis is an opportunity to build a more resilient macadamia value chain, but only if all stakeholders move beyond temporary fixes and address structural capacity gaps.

The six-month window, if approved, must be used not just to sell nuts but to plan and finance the processing infrastructure that will make future bans sustainable.

Ultimately, farmers deserve better. So do processors, exporters, and the international buyers who value Kenyan macadamias for their quality.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.