Task force roots for aggressive miraa drive in European cities

What you need to know:

  • If the report is implemented in full, the government will further promote consumption of miraa at international trade fairs, help the farmers form a Sacco, establish Miraa Development Agency, lend money to farmers and also form Miraa Research Institute to generate technologies and information for farmers.
  • Besides the Sh1.2 billion released on the President’s orders, the government has also allocated another Sh1 billion, in the budget that was presented last week, for promoting miraa.

An aggressive campaign will be launched in Europe to regain miraa markets lost after a ban.

It is one of the recommendations in the report on the development of the miraa industry that was presented to President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday.

The President ordered the release of Sh1.2 billion to be spent in implementing the report.

The report says “recovery of lost markets, penetration of new markets and retention of the existing ones require intervention by the government, individual county governments and Miraa Traders Association.”

It adds: “The government should engage the European Union and governments that have banned miraa in their jurisdictions to lift the ban and lobby the European Union for financial support to facilitate development of standards to enable miraa farmers to overcome technical barriers to trade.”

The 14-member task force appointed by the President in June last year was led by Nchooro Geoffrey M’mwenda and Agriculture Principal Secretary Richard Leresian Lesiyampe as the alternate chairman.

The team also proposes that the government should purchase land to construct a miraa collection and distribution centre in Nairobi, at an estimated cost of Sh100 million.

If the report is implemented in full, the government will further promote consumption of miraa at international trade fairs, help the farmers form a Sacco, establish Miraa Development Agency, lend money to farmers and also form Miraa Research Institute to generate technologies and information for farmers.

Miraa growing areas in Kenya are parts of Meru, Tharaka-Nithi and Embu counties. Europe was the second largest market after Somalia for miraa from Kenya.

Netherlands banned miraa trade in 2012 and Britain followed suit in 2014.

In banning the trade, the two countries cited “the need to protect a minority community and to prevent them from becoming the distribution hub in continental Europe,” the report says.

Politicians in government and opposition have adopted the miraa trade ban as a key campaign tool ahead of the August General Election, with each promising to have it lifted.

In 2013, a Parliamentary Select Committee formed to inquire into miraa recommended that the government should be responsible for the development, promotion and marketing of the crop.

Miraa is consumed in Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Israel and Yemen.

The taskforce report targets new markets in Africa, particularly Uganda, Djibouti, Eritrea, Botswana, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mozambique and Ghana.

Besides the Sh1.2 billion released on the President’s orders, the government has also allocated another Sh1 billion, in the budget that was presented last week, for promoting miraa.

President Kenyatta said all recommendations by the task force should be implemented within the year.

“The Sh1.2 billion that was allocated will now be released and it will be used in accordance with the recommendations of the taskforce,” said the President after receiving the report.

President Kenyatta said the same taskforce that worked on the report will be transformed to become an implementing committee. He directed the Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua to have a meeting with the team so that they can start their new duties immediately.

 Leaders from miraa growing areas led by Senator Kiraitu Murungi, who attended the meeting, said the President’s gesture was appreciated by miraa growers.

“You have elevated miraa to its highest standard and we hope that, under your leadership, we will be able to witness the introduction of modern ways of processing the product,” said the Senator.

Igembe Central MP Kubai Iringo said “You become the second President to promote miraa after what Mzee Jomo Kenyatta did for the people who grow the crop”.

Dr Lesiyampe said the main challenges facing the crop are marketing and recommendations will make miraa more profitable.