Meru leaders and farmers celebrate improved miraa prices

Celebration rocked Meru County after Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced new improved prices for the stimulant crop.

The CS said the new prices for various grades of miraa will take effect immediately, adding that the government was keen to improve the fortunes of the farmers.

In the newly negotiated prices, Grade 1 Miraa will retail at Sh1,300 a kilo, Grade 2 and Alele  for Sh1,000 and Sh700, respectively. "These prices take effect immediately," said the CS.

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Nyambene Miraa Trade Association (Nyamita) chairman Kimathi Munjuri said the prices were lower due to the cartel that has controlled the industry for years.

He said the cartel set the prices, leading to low farmers' earnings. However, Munjuri called on the government to enforce the prices and stop the cartel from controlling the sector.

"This is what led to the boycott of Miraa supply because Sh700 per kilo of Grade 1, Sh350 for Grade 2, and Sh400 for Alele were too punitively low," said Munjuri.

CS Kagwe announced the improved prices in the company of Principal Secretary Paul Ronoh and Meru leaders, who included Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa, Governor Kawira Mwangaza, Senator Kathuri Murungi, and MPs from Meru, where vast swathes of land in northern parts are dedicated for Miraa.

"The government will continue to address the market access challenges to expand on export opportunities in our current and new markets," said the CS.

Former Igembe North MP Maore Maoka said the government's intervention will protect farmers against exploitation by a shadowy cartel that dictates prices and quantities meant for export.

"It is a step forward. The cartel will be outraged and is bound to stage a fight. The control of one’s cash crop by a cartel via dictating price, transport, packaging, and marketing has been a bad thing for ages," Mr Maoka said.

Maoka said there was a need to borrow a leaf from the rice-growing community of Mwea, who had succeeded in their ventures.

"We need to benchmark with Mwea rice farmers; 15 years ago they were where Miraa farmers are today. They took control of their sweat. It is a struggle and cannot be a gift from those who have benefitted from the exploitation," he said.

Governor Mwangaza said the increment in Miraa prices was a testimony to what can be achieved when leaders work in unity for the benefit of the community.

Meanwhile, Munjuri expressed satisfaction with the ministry's efforts to support farmers and others in the value chain.

"We receive the pricing with a lot of hope because the biggest hitch that has led to miraa farmers' exploitation is prices shrouded in secrecy. Now it is clear what farmers should accept for their specified Miraa brands. It must be clear to farmers that these prices are the minimum that buyers must pay us for our produce," Mr Munjuri said. 

He said the buyers must bear the cost of harvesting, grading, packing, transport, and even resale.

We find the pricing to be very fair. We note that the Somalia market is today artificially controlled under a supply quota, so the rainy and sunny seasons of high and low supply do not apply. The price is relatively constant in the markets in Somalia, and so should they be in the farms," Munjuri stated.

He called for enforcement of the CS's announcement.

"The weakness is, we don't see any means of enforcement other than the goodwill of the farmers. None of us should accept any price below the specified. If anyone does, it is one's choice, and one should suffer in silence," he cautioned farmers.

With the minister solving one of the Miraa growers' challenges, Munjuri said they now expect the government to tackle a cartel that has controlled the industry for years and is blamed for low earnings.

"The other thing is about the promise to deal with finality with Magafe, the group of operatives who have captured the Miraa industry. They dictate which airline is given the permission letter by the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority to fly Miraa into Somalia airspace. For this, they collected a huge commission, which was USD 4.50 per kg of Miraa to Mogadishu in 2022 when the issue was tabled to President (William) Ruto but has increased today to USD 9.50 per kg of Miraa exported to Mogadishu. The group also controls the number of bundles of Miraa packed in each sack and even the number of sarba (a unit of the kilo)," Munjuri added. A kilo of Grade 1 has six sarbas.

"We hope that CS Kagwe's promise will be kept this time round. We had already informed the DCI of this group, but the DCI didn't act," said the Miraa trade chairman.