Miraa consumers will henceforth purchase the crop at a higher cost after the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, revised the prices upwards.
In a press statement on Saturday, February 15, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced that the Grade 1 miraa price had been increased from Ksh700 to Ksh1,300.
Similarly, the price of Grade 2 miraa was increased to Ksh700 from the previous retail price of Ksh350, while the cost of Alele miraa was doubled from Ksh500 to Ksh1,000.
Kagwe explained that the decision to increase miraa prices was reached following a meeting held by the Miraa Pricing Formula Committee on February 13 after receiving submissions from farmers.
The Miraa Pricing Formula Committee was established according to provisions of Regulation 29 of the Crops Regulations 2023 to provide advice to the industry on the pricing of Kenyan miraa.
The nine-member committee is domiciled at the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) offices and comprises representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture and Trade and heads of Miraa associations.
Meanwhile, CS Kagwe emphasised that the price changes take effect immediately, reiterating the government's commitment to addressing the market access challenges facing Miraa farmers.
“Therefore, the new negotiated price is Ksh1300, Ksh700, and Ksh1,000 for Grade 1, Grade 2, and Alele, respectively. These prices take effect immediately,” CS Kagwe announced.
“The government will continue to address the market access challenges to expand on export opportunities in our current and new markets.”
The latest price increase comes against the back of persistent complaints by Miraa farmers who lamented low pricing despite investing heavily in cultivating the crop.
Miraa is commonly grown in the counties of Meru along the Nyambene Hills, Tharaka Nithi, and Embu, however, with the growing market demand for the crop, the cultivation of miraa has also spread to several other counties, which include Marsabit, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Murang’a, Machakos, Makueni, Laikipia, and West Pokot.
Miraa was declared as a scheduled crop in November 2016 through an amendment to the Crops Act of 2013. Scheduling of the crop allowed the government's intervention in the value chain with a view to regulating and promoting the sale of the crop.
