The Agriculture and Food Authority has intensified operations against unlicensed dealers and processors of macadamia nuts in 14 key producing counties. Officials say the move aims to shield smallholder farmers from exploitation, curb theft of immature nuts, and uphold the high standards demanded by international buyers.
The crackdown comes at the height of the harvesting season. Teams, often working with police, have already made arrests, including one in Kiganjo, Gatundu South, Kiambu County. Authorities seized nuts and equipment from the suspect.
Patrick Kirimi, AFA Deputy Director in the Nuts and Oil Crops Directorate, said the operations target malpractices that undermine the sector. “We are enforcing the Crops, Nuts and Oil Crops Regulations of 2020 because this is peak harvesting time, and reports of irregularities have increased,” he told journalists after the Gatundu raid.
Under the rules, anyone buying, processing, or trading macadamia nuts must register with AFA and obtain a valid licence. Unlicensed operators often purchase immature nuts directly from farms at low prices. This practice lowers kernel quality and damages Kenya’s reputation in export markets.
Protecting Quality and Curbing Theft
Immature harvesting reduces oil content and shelf life, making Kenyan macadamia less competitive against nuts from top producers. Officials link unlicensed buying to rising cases of theft from orchards before nuts reach full maturity.
The authority wants to maintain traceability from farm to export. Kirimi noted that registered players help ensure only mature, high-quality nuts enter the value chain.
Kenya ranks among the world’s top macadamia producers, currently placed third or fourth globally depending on the season, behind leaders such as South Africa and Australia. The country exported macadamia nuts worth about $79 million in 2024, with major destinations including the United States, China, and Germany.
In 2024, raw nut production reached around 51,200 tonnes, generating roughly Sh4.95 billion at the farm gate. Exports of processed kernels continue to show an upward trend, though the sector has faced challenges from price fluctuations and past gluts.
Structured Value Chain in Focus
AFA is engaging farmers, licensed processors, marketing agencies, and exporters to build a more organised chain. The goal is to boost production, improve returns, and create jobs, especially for young people in rural areas.
“Processors who follow the law benefit from better prices for quality nuts on the international market,” Kirimi said. He added that this approach supports family livelihoods and expands opportunities in processing and related services.
Penalties for illegal trading are stiff: offenders face fines of up to Sh500,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both.
The 14 counties under active enforcement include traditional strongholds such as Embu, Meru, Kiambu, Tharaka Nithi, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, and Nyeri. Expansion is also happening in areas like Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, and parts of the Rift Valley and Western regions, where smallholders are increasingly intercropping macadamia with other crops.
Seasonal Measures and Long-Term Gains
This enforcement aligns with broader seasonal regulations. AFA previously imposed temporary harvesting bans to allow nuts to reach physiological maturity, reopening windows only after maturity surveys. Such measures have helped stabilise quality and support higher farm-gate prices in recent seasons.
Farmers and processors who comply stand to gain from premium markets that reward consistent, traceable supply. Industry players say structured trading reduces exploitation by middlemen and ensures more value stays with growers.
AFA officials appealed to all stakeholders to register and operate within the law. They stressed that a strong, regulated macadamia sector will help Kenya strengthen its global position while delivering better incomes to the hundreds of thousands of smallholder families who depend on the crop.
As operations continue across the counties, the authority says it will keep working closely with county governments and security agencies to root out illegal trade and build a more transparent value chain for one of Kenya’s most promising export nuts.
