Kenya's macadamia nut export ban sparks controversy again, shell nut exports may be affected

Kenya's macadamia industry, which exports 95% of its production, is facing price instability due to global market conditions, with farm-gate prices dropping significantly in 2023. In response, the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture has lifted a ban on exports and implemented measures to prevent the export of unripe fruits. These measures include a one-year export window and a ban on macadamia nut picking from November 2, 2024 to March 1, 2025. The ministry has also set a minimum guaranteed farm purchase price of 100 shillings/kg. China is a key market for Kenyan macadamia nuts, with imports growing from less than 400 tons in 2017 to 17,022 tons in 2021.

Kenya's macadamia industry is mainly export-oriented, with about 95% of its products shipped to international markets each year. The farm-gate purchase price of in-shell macadamia reached an all-time high of 180 Kenyan shillings per kilogram in 2019, but the price dropped sharply to between 30-40 shillings per kilogram in early 2023. In order to stabilize prices and help farmers sell excess stocks affected by global market conditions, the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture lifted the original ban on macadamia exports in accordance with Section 43 of the Macadamia Act of 2013, providing a one-year export window from November 3, 2023. period. But the ministry's rapid industry assessment showed that many local companies lacked high-quality stocks for processing, while harvesting, processing and exporting unripe fruits made Kenyan macadamia nuts perform poorly in the global market. Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry decided to take measures to protect the market. After ...