Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Chairman Cornelly Serem has confirmed that Kenya will start exporting Miraa to Israel.
This follows a six-month-long search of potential buyers from the Middle East market.
Serem has further added that the move will form part of the diversification of the country's existing exports to Israel as Kenya seeks ways to fill at least one cargo flight to the Middle Eastern state.
However, the government has yet to confirm when the first freight will depart.
Israel will now form part of Kenya's key Miraa markets such as the Puntland in Somalia, Somaliland, Mozambique and Angola.
As of August 31, 2023, Kenya's Miraa farmers had been extensively searching for new Miraa markets due to disappointment caused by over-reliance on just two markets.
Led by Nyambene Miraa Farmers and Traders Associaton Chairman, Kimathi Munjuri, the farmers have been actively pitching for buyers in the Middle East and Israel has long been a crucial target market.
The relief follows a ten-year market loss from the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom was the first target market to flag down the product in 2014.
This was after its Government released a report that classified Miraa as a Class C drug.
Somalia then followed suit with a ban in 2017, after a diplomatic and trade wrangle, which has since been resolved and exports have resumed.
Despite the resumption of trade relations, Kenya's Miraa farmers are still not happy because of the low volumes demanded by Somalia's market.
