By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, April 30, 2026 - The MacNut Association of Kenya (MACNUT) has unveiled plans to establish cooperative aggregation models, similar to those in the tea and coffee sectors, to address financial challenges facing macadamia farmers across the country.
In a statement on Thursday, the association said that over the next three months, it will work with national and county governments to hold field days that will brief farmers on the plan and also promote good agricultural practices.
The association said that the cooperatives will shield macadamia farmers from exploitative brokers who are buying the product from farmers far below the government-recommended minimum.
MACNUT maintained that it will remain committed to supporting the government’s directive on a minimum buying price of Ksh 100 per kilogram as well as upholding the ban on nut-in-shell (NIS) macadamia export.
“These same brokers are the ones involved in the illegal smuggling of nut-in-shell (NIS). There is serious concern over the smuggling of nut-in-shell, which continues to distort the market and undermine legitimate trade,” it stated.
“ The Association has called on the Government to intensify enforcement and prosecute individuals and networks involved in NIS smuggling, noting that illegal trade weakens policy implementation and harms compliant farmers and processors,” it added.
On the other hand, the association has noted that buyers should ensure that they are fair to farmers who sell organic and certified varieties, while grafted macadamia, on the other hand, should attract a premium over ungrafted macadamia due to its superior uniformity and larger nut size
“The tetraphylla variety of macadamia is not yet fully mature, with maturity expected over the next couple of weeks. MACNUT reassured farmers that processors are ready to offtake fully mature nuts and that there should be no panic selling,” it stated.
The announcement comes a week after Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe urged macadamia processors to buy all locally produced macadamia nuts at the government-set minimum price of Sh100 per kilogram, or risk the reopening of the raw in-shell exports.
According to the CS, despite warnings, brokers of the product continue to exploit farmers by buying macadamia at a price of Ksh30, only to resell it at a regulated price to processors.
The CS also called for a pro-processor under the MACNUT Association of Kenya to absorb all locally produced macadamia so as to sustain local value chain addition, protect jobs, and guarantee farmers fair returns.
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