Macadamia traders want section 43 of the AFA Act repealed
By Wangari Njuguna, January 22, 2026Macadamia traders in the country want the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, to permanently do away with Section 43 of the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) that bans the exportation of raw nuts from the country.
Through their organisation, the Nut Traders Association of Kenya, the traders said the ban has been hurting the sector and created room for processors to exploit the farmers.
Speaking during a meeting with the farmers in Murang’a on Thursday, January 22, 2026, NUTAK chairperson Johnson Kihara said the traders should be allowed to sell the unprocessed nuts, saying there is a huge market out there.
Poor prices
Kihara said a majority of the farmers are now holding tonnes and tonnes of nuts in their stores because they are awaiting better prices, adding that the processors are buying the produce for as little as Ksh40 per kilo.
“Lack of market has seen farmers hawk the raw nuts in the market to make some money, and some were selling for as little as Sh10 per kilo,” Kihara remarked.
“We are fighting for the liberation of the macadamia market in the country, as this will enhance competitiveness and push up the prices,” he added.
The chairman said they have been fighting for the scrapping of this law to no avail, but on several occasions, the ban has been lifted and imposed again.
He claims that there is too much politics being played in the sector, and there are some people who want to control it for their personal gain.
Collapse of macadamia farming
He warned that if the issue is not addressed, macadamia farming might collapse, denying thousands of farmers who depend on it a source of livelihood.
“The Mt Kenya region is the biggest producer of macadamia in the country, with a record of over 60 million metric tonnes, but the farmers are suffering because they are not able to sell their produce,” the NUTAK chairperson said.
“The government should put in place measures to ensure the stability of the sector because it has a huge economic potential,” he added.
Further, he said the government should involve the traders and farmers in any decision-making, arguing that this would help in giving proper guidelines for the sector.
“We have been sidelined by the government, and people who are not macadamia farmers are the ones sitting at the table to discuss matters concerning the sector,” Kihara said.