Premium
AFA slaps seasonal ban on macadamia harvest, trade
A farmer holds a macadamia nuts harvest.
The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has banned the harvest and trade of locally produced macadamia nuts for two-and-a-half months, citing immature crop development and the need to safeguard Kenya’s premium quality reputation.
The ban, which takes effect on December 1and runs until February 15 next year, will apply to all value-chain actors, including processors, exporters, importers and marketing agents.
Director-General Bruno Linyiru said the temporary freeze follows findings of a recent survey showing that a large portion of the crop has not attained the required maturity.
“The authority has established that a substantial portion of the crop is still undergoing physiological development... The closure period will allow adequate time for the nuts to mature fully and meet export quality standards,” he said.
The directive, implemented through the Nuts and Oils Directorate, aims to align harvesting and processing with natural maturity trends to maintain high kernel quality, oil content and shelf life, factors that have helped position Kenyan macadamia among the world’s most sought-after. AFA said the measure is also designed to protect farmers from post-harvest losses and low farm-gate prices that typically accompany premature harvesting, when nuts have low oil content and poor drying characteristics.
Kenya, one of the top global exporters of macadamia, has in recent seasons struggled with fluctuating quality and price volatility blamed on early picking and unregulated trading by brokers.
The authority said it would intensify field inspections to enforce compliance across the main growing zones, typically in central Kenya, eastern and the Rift Valley regions, warning that traders found violating the closure will face legal penalties.
Processors have in the past supported the closure policy, noting that Kenya’s competitiveness in premium nut markets depends on meeting strict moisture and kernel standards demanded by international buyers.
Section 43 of the AFA Act of 2013 prohibits the export of raw macadamia, except with the written approval of the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary.
The Agriculture ministry had allowed the export of raw nuts, known as nut-in-shell, after farmers complained of a glut, which drove farm gate prices down from a high of Sh180 per kilogramme to Sh30.
Last year, processors came under heightened competition for nuts from Chinese buyers who took advantage of a window opened, allowing shipping of unprocessed macadamia to mop up supplies from farmers.
According to the Economic Survey 2025 report, Kenya had 11,090 hectares under macadamia production in 2024, producing 51,200 tonnes, which earned producers Sh4.95 billion.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
