Macadamia nuts have been ranked as the hottest commodity in Kenya after hitting Ksh500 per kilogramme, eclipsing tea which ranges between Ksh250 and Ksh300 as well as coffee valued between Ksh250 and ksh500 for the same quantity depending on the variety.
Kenya Exports Promotion Agency Report released on Tuesday shows that the cultivation of Macadamia has been on an upward trajectory buoyed by better farm gate prices as more farmers shun coffee farming.
Currently, Kenya exports between 90% and 95% of Macadamia produced in the country, guaranteeing farmers handsome returns. The demand for the commodity has especially been high in Europe as snacking and nuts are increasingly considered substitutes for animal protein.
Macadamia nuts are seen as a premium and luxury product compared to other nuts consumed in Europe.
The report further indicated that there are opportunities for developing countries to supply to large markets such as Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Switzerland.
Kenya is also working to expand its nuts market to Asia, particularly China, according to the agency, stemming from several bilateral agreements to expand the trade of agricultural products.
Kenya, the third-largest exporter of macadamia in the world behind Australia and South Africa, has over the years embraced both small to large-scale producers in Embu, Muranga, Meru, and other parts of central Kenya.
Macadamia and coffee share a symbiotic relationship and farmers usually plant macadamia trees to shelter their coffee bushes.
Kenyan-grown macadamia nuts are globally recognised for their versatility that enriches many recipes for foodstuffs as well as human drugs and cosmetics products. It can also be processed into cooking oil.
It is also beloved worldwide because it is organically produced.
According to the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) established in 1971 by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenya has the potential to quadruple the production of macadamia and benefit from the growing global demand for organic macadamia.
CBI's latest report asserts that emerging producers must be able to compete with the already-established markets of Australia, South Africa, and Kenya.
For Kenya, increased participation of processors across the value chain from contact farming, provision of seedlings, and offering a ready market for mature macadamia is a magnet for new investors coming from both the public and private sectors.
