Why macadamia export window fell short of target

Kenya’s macadamia industry is facing increasing pressure following the closure of a temporary government-authorised export window, which saw shipments of just five percent of the intended target. This shortfall is primarily attributed to the poor quality of the produce.

Recent data from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Acting Director-General Calistus Kundu indicate that only 700 metric tonnes of raw macadamia nuts, out of an approved export allocation of 14,000 metric tonnes, were shipped through the Port of Mombasa by the end of the export window on October 10, 2026.

The temporary window was intended to provide an alternative market for surplus produce. Industry stakeholders say poor nut quality remains one of the concerns affecting Kenya's competitiveness, although regulatory uncertainty, inspection procedures and the capacity of local processors also warrant attention.

“Opening the export market is not enough if the nuts available cannot meet the quality requirements of international buyers. The problem begins at the farm, where premature harvesting, poor pest management and inadequate post-harvest handling compromise the quality of the produce,” said Benard Sitati of the MACNUT Association of Kenya.

The quality challenge is particularly significant in major producing counties, including Murang’a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Embu and Meru, where macadamia production has expanded without corresponding investment in modern orchard management and quality-control systems.

Agriculture value-chain expert and lecturer at Nairobi University Peter Mwangi said the industry's difficulties reflected longstanding weaknesses in production practices, with some farmers continuing to harvest immature nuts and failing to observe recommended post-harvest procedures.

He said inadequate drying and storage expose harvested nuts to moisture, mould and spoilage, reducing their marketability and making them unsuitable for processing into export-grade kernels.

“Macadamia production has expanded significantly in major growing counties such as Murang’a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Embu and Meru, but investment in orchard management and quality control has not kept pace,” Mwangi said.

The situation is further complicated by a fragmented marketing system dominated by informal brokers, which has weakened the relationship between farmers and processors. According to Sitati, growers facing immediate financial needs often harvest their nuts prematurely and sell them to brokers without proper drying, sorting or grading.

“Once international buyers lose confidence in the quality of a country's produce, rebuilding that confidence becomes difficult,” Sitati warned.

Poor orchard management is also undermining the industry's competitiveness, with some smallholder farmers investing little in pruning, soil nutrition, pest control and the rejuvenation of ageing trees. These practices can affect nut size, maturity and kernel recovery, making it difficult for processors to consistently meet international quality standards.

For processors, the challenge extends to the quality and consistency of raw materials reaching their factories. In an individual account of his purchasing experience, Michael Gatua, a processor in Central Kenya, said some deliveries contained substantial quantities of nuts that could not be processed economically.

“We are receiving truckloads where almost half cannot be processed. Sorting is expensive, and when the quality of the raw material is unpredictable, processors have to reduce their purchases,” he said in an earlier interview.

His account illustrates the quality-control difficulties facing individual processors but should not be interpreted as evidence that half of all macadamia deliveries in Kenya are unusable.

International buyers are also demanding greater traceability, including reliable records of nut origin, harvesting and post-harvest handling. However, the broker-dominated marketing system and weak farmer organisations make it difficult to guarantee these standards, threatening the livelihoods of more than 200,000 smallholder farmers and Kenya's competitiveness against established producers such as South Africa.

Stakeholders now say preparations for the next harvesting season must prioritise quality improvement rather than simply increasing production or seeking additional export opportunities.

Stronger farmer organisations will also be essential in coordinating these improvements. Njaga Wambugu, a farmer in Nyeri, said growers remained disadvantaged because they lacked strong cooperatives capable of negotiating better prices, coordinating production and protecting their interests.

Organised farmer groups could establish collection and bulking centres, introduce basic grading systems and facilitate access to extension services and collective marketing. Such arrangements would make it easier for processors to establish direct purchasing relationships with growers and monitor the quality of supplies.

The Agriculture and Food Authority also faces pressure to strengthen its regulatory and extension responsibilities. Stakeholders want the regulator to work with county governments, processors and farmer associations to establish a coordinated harvesting calendar, intensify field inspections and ensure compliance with quality standards.

AFA's decision to reopen the 2026 harvesting and trading season on February 1 followed a temporary closure imposed from December 1, 2025, to February 15, 2026, to allow nuts to mature and protect quality.

In a public notice issued on January 29, 2026, the then Director-General Dr Bruno Linyiru said the reopening followed a maturity surveillance exercise conducted between January 19 and 23 across major growing counties.

The survey found that maturity levels varied across agro-ecological zones. While most nuts in lower-altitude coffee-growing areas had attained physiological maturity, nuts in higher-altitude tea-growing areas were largely immature. AFA consequently urged farmers to harvest only mature nuts and allow immature ones to develop.

Ahead of the next season, AFA needs to improve communication with growers, enforce harvesting and handling standards and expand farmer education programmes, according to Sitati. Its work should also be complemented by greater collaboration between processors and farmer organisations to address quality challenges before produce enters the market.

“Farmer education, stricter harvesting standards and closer collaboration between AFA, processors and farmers are key to addressing quality challenges at the source.”

Kenya's experience demonstrates that market access and production growth must be matched by quality assurance, predictable regulation and stronger relationships between farmers and processors. Unless stakeholders address these weaknesses before the next harvest, the country risks producing more macadamia without securing the markets and prices needed to make the crop commercially viable.