{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=148074","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=148072","results":[{"id":1498922,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1498922/?format=json","text_counter":516,"type":"heading","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"MEASURES TO BOOST PRICES OF MACADAMIA NUTS"},{"id":1498923,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1498923/?format=json","text_counter":517,"type":"other","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to ask the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development the following question: Could the Cabinet Secretary: (a) Confirm that the prices of macadamia nuts that are purchased from farmers in recent years has sharply declined from over Ksh200 per kilogramme to below Ksh50 per kilogramme? (b) Explain why there has been such a sharp decline in macadamia nut prices and outline measures that are aimed at boosting those prices, considering the vital role they play as a source of income for many farmers? (c) Elucidate on why the regulations in respect of macadamia nuts as mandated by Section 40 of the Crops Act (Cap. 318) are yet to be formulated, and when are they expected to be formulated and implemented to protect farmers from unscrupulous dealers? Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker."},{"id":1498924,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1498924/?format=json","text_counter":518,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Dr Andrew Mwihia Karanja","speaker_title":"The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I can confirm that the price of macadamia nuts declined from Ksh200 to Ksh50. This happened between 2022 and 2023 because most of the companies could not sell because of COVID-19 and the lockdown. In some areas, the price went down to Ksh30. We cannot deny it. The price of macadamia nuts has risen because the demand has risen again. At the end of last year, the farmers were fetching around Ksh80. Currently, some of them are going up to Ksh120. There has been a revival because the Government came in and ensured that the demand improved by allowing the nut in shell exports. This made sure there is competition in the market and the prices improved. We also note that 95 per cent of our macadamia nuts are exported. So, the prices we get depend on what is happening in the global market. When there was a decline in their prices, it was attributed to the global turmoil in some of the markets where we sell them like in the United States of America (USA), European Union (EU) and China. Since then, as I have indicated the prices have gone up. One of the consequences is that our manufacturers or local processors, who are about 35 or 38, could not get the macadamia nuts to process in the country because of the glut which was there. China has emerged as one of the macadamia nuts producers which causes a glut in the market. The dynamics about the prices in Kenya are mainly global and local. They depend on whether we export macadamia nuts in shell or the local companies process them. Which measures are we taking? As I have indicated, the Ministry lifted the ban on exportation of raw macadamia nuts which was imposed from 2nd November 2023 to 3rd November 2024. It was imposed to facilitate clearing of the backlog of macadamia nuts in shell through export. This translated to price recovery from the previous low of Ksh30 last year to an average of Ksh80 last year. Those prices have increased to Ksh120 by now. The Ministry, through the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), has undertaken intensive sensitisation of growers of the need to form associations and co-operatives. Macadamia nuts farmers are not organised into groups or co-operatives. They are being"},{"id":1498925,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1498925/?format=json","text_counter":519,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Dr Andrew Mwihia Karanja","speaker_title":"The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development","speaker":null,"content":"The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."},{"id":1498926,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1498926/?format=json","text_counter":520,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Dr Andrew Mwihia Karanja","speaker_title":"The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development","speaker":null,"content":"exploited by brokers who take the big role. We will mobilise them into co-operatives and associations, so that they can market macadamia nuts in an organised manner. The Ministry issued a ban on harvesting of macadamia nuts because we noted that some of the unscrupulous brokers and farmers were harvesting immature nuts. They were trying to sell them in the market and some of them for export. This was making Kenyan macadamia quality to go down. We agreed that we need to impose what we call a ban – a period where you cannot harvest until the nuts are mature. The Government is also in the process of developing mature nuts grading guidelines so that farmers can earn optimum prices from good grades. There is no grading system. They say grade one and two, but we would like to have guidelines on how that can be done. The Ministry has also developed marketing strategies to guide domestic market expansion for macadamia nuts. Through the Agriculture Food Authority – the regulator – the Ministry is creating stakeholder engagement platforms to facilitate buyer-seller negotiations for competitive price discovery of macadamia value chains. We are taking various measures to make sure that farmers get the maximum returns out of the macadamia nuts. On part three of the Question, as I have indicated, the Ministry has already formulated the regulations that are anchored on section 40 of the Crops Act 2013, which addresses marketing in various sub-sections. We have quoted the sub-sections. They are 40(a)(l) and (s). There are already regulations which have been formulated and address various aspects of marketing. For instance, they provide for quality planting material by making sure that we have quality planting materials. Regulation 22 also provides for contract signing between growers and dealers so that we can manage the marketing. Another regulation provides for the harvesting and maturity of macadamia nuts. Another regulation is about the development of a traceability system so that we can trace where the macadamia is coming from. We have a large array of regulations which have been formulated to make sure that we streamline the marketing, pricing and management of the macadamia market industry. Some of them provide for sampling and compliance with standards that support the production of quality macadamia, which will consistently boost prices. In general, I would like to say that we have made most of the efforts to make sure that we have regulations to make sure that, that sector, which is actually coming up very well, has order. That way, we will not be left to the whims of unscrupulous traders and farmers are left vulnerable. That is what I can say. Thank you very much."},{"id":1498927,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1498927/?format=json","text_counter":521,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Deputy Speaker","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Yes, Hon. Mbui."},{"id":1498928,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1498928/?format=json","text_counter":522,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Hon. Gichimu Githinji spoke off the record)"},{"id":1498929,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1498929/?format=json","text_counter":523,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Deputy Speaker","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Do you have a follow-up question?"},{"id":1498930,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1498930/?format=json","text_counter":524,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Gichugu, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Gichimu Githinji","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. The Cabinet Secretary has conceded that the lifting of the ban on the importation of raw macadamia means the price for exportation of raw macadamia will shoot from as low as Ksh30 to Ksh80 and, eventually, to Ksh120. Why would you want to impose a ban on exports if the prices would decline for the farmers? Please, clarify that one. On the ban not to harvest macadamia between 3rd November 2024 and 1st March 2025, what informed the ban during that period? The ban also has a force of law. Where is it anchored in law? Secondly, macadamia has different varieties. Some varieties of macadamia produce nuts the entire year, depending on the variety. Where do such fall under this ban? There are also ecological and climatic conditions that determine when macadamia would be ready for harvesting. The entire country is now stuck. Farmers cannot harvest their macadamia and yet,"},{"id":1498931,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1498931/?format=json","text_counter":525,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Gichugu, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Gichimu Githinji","speaker":null,"content":"The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."}]}