- Kenya’s macadamia export window closed with shipments falling far below industry expectations.
- Growers and traders face mounting losses as thousands of tonnes of nuts remain unsold.
- Industry players want predictable export rules and an extension to clear existing stocks.
Kenya’s three-month window for exporting raw macadamia nuts ended on October 10 with just 700 tonnes shipped, against an expected 14,000 tonnes. More than 30,000 tonnes are reportedly still sitting unsold in stores and on farms, and growers who hoped for relief say they are worse off than before.
The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) had allowed the shipments between July and October, in the hope of easing a glut that has pulled down earnings. According to a report by AFA Acting Director-General Calistus Kundu, 14 companies moved the nuts through the Port of Mombasa before the deadline. The authority then barred the remaining allocation from leaving the country, which left processors and traders holding stock they had already prepared for sale.
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Exporters now say the regulator made the process harder than it needed to be. Mureithi Gichabi, the vice chairman of the Kenya Macadamia Growers Association, said traders had spent money assembling the nuts and presenting them for inspection, yet AFA did not help them complete the shipments. He wants the window extended so dealers can honour their contracts. In his view, shifting policy is hurting a multi-billion-shilling industry, and some processing factories could close.
Gichabi was also unhappy with the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Summit 2026. He argued that macadamia stakeholders were given no chance to raise their concerns, as other crops dominated the talks.
Traders want a longer-term fix. Njiru Kathangu, vice chairman of the Nut Traders Association of Kenya, said the sector needs predictable rules, including a regular lifting of the ban on selling raw nuts to China, so farmers are not tied to a single market.
By Benedict Aoya
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