Farmers stuck with surplus produce
Cooperative society members in Lamu inspect their cashewnuts as they wait for the market to stabilise after the export of raw nuts was banned. The ban was partially lifted but this has sparked controversy that has seen some nut processors go to court. Photo/MAZERYA NDURYA
Stuck with surplus harvests in their stores, Coast cashewnut farmers will have to endure the inconvenience longer due to a dispute over marketing of the produce.
The High Court in Nairobi suspended a government decision to lift the ban on export of raw cashewnuts following an application by local processors. The court has instead directed that the ban be enforced.
In addition, Lady Justice Jean Gacheche granted an interim order directing Agriculture minister Sally Kosgei and the Commissioner of Customs to enforce the arrest of those who breach the order.
The minister had issued a Gazette notice lifting the ban on macadamia nuts, cashewnuts, pistachio and oyster nuts from December 15, last year, to June 30 to mop up the excess raw nuts from farmers.
Quashed orders
However, local processors, among them Equatorial Nuts Processors Ltd, Sawa Africa EPZ Ltd, Kenya Nut Company Ltd and Wonder Nuts (Kenya) Ltd, obtained court orders quashing the minister’s decision.
The court also granted the applicants an order barring the minister from lifting the ban and the Commissioner of Customs from allowing the export of raw nuts from Kenya.
And as the dispute rages, the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari) will this week convene a nuts stakeholders meeting in Mombasa to develop an action plan to address the problems of marketing and production.
Mr Francis Muniu, the national nuts research coordinator at Kari, said the meeting was also expected to address the issue of value addition and government policies regulating the industry.
Already, the seven processors, Agriculture ministry officials and farmers from eight nut growing areas in Coast Province have formed a committee to guide the marketing of the crop this season.
“The working committee will create smaller village committees that will ensure that no farmer sells the nuts at less than Sh35 a kilo as agreed in the meeting,” Coast provincial director of agriculture Phoebe Odhiambo said.
Last year, the minister lifted a similar ban for 90 days but exporters said the move had come “too late” and they would not go back to the producing areas to mop up supplies.
They said they had already amassed enough stocks for the season following a bumper harvest.
