Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has given miraa traders 14 days to comply with the agreed buying price or face automatic delisting.
Speaking during the Farmers’ Day event in Meru, Kagwe revealed that he had held a meeting with the traders on Thursday and agreed they have two weeks to comply or risk losing their trading licences.
“If you don't want to buy according to the agreed prices, then you will be delisted. Go and trade other items like maize, but as far as miraa is concerned, you will buy at the price that we agreed,” the CS warned.
The move follows numerous complaints from miraa farmers, who reported challenges in selling to traders who reject the agreed prices.
The government had set new prices after negotiations, with Grade 1 Miraa selling at Ksh1,300 per kilogram and Grade 2 at Ksh700, while Alele sells at Ksh1,000.
Through the Miraa Farmers and Pluckers Association Chairman, Japhet Mutuma, the farmers revealed that traders and exporters were refusing to comply, instead offering Ksh600 for Grade 1, Ksh250 for Grade 2, and Ksh350 for Allele.
The CS expressed his disappointment in the traders who were going against the agreed prices, despite having initially consented to them.
CS Kagwe argued that air transport costs could not be used as a valid excuse for failing to comply with the minimum prices, as cited by the exporters.
“We are telling the miraa traders that it is in your interest to support the miraa farmers as we had agreed. Why are you now turning back on the agreement we had?” the CS questioned.
After being delisted, traders will be required to sign an agreement committing to adhere to the set prices before their licences can be reinstated, the CS directed.
The CS urged traders to comply with the agreed terms to ensure smooth business operations, rather than allowing the situation to escalate to delisting.
The farmers had decried to the government other challenges they were facing in the miraa trade, including cartels at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), market restrictions in Somalia, and a monopoly by a single importer in Mogadishu, which President William Ruto assured were being handled.
