Kenya lifts harvesting ban on macadamia nuts as global demand surges
The seasonal closure was intended to allow sufficient time for the crop to attain full maturity...
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Kenya's Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has lifted a seasonal ban on the harvesting and trading of macadamia nuts, effective February 1, 2026, allowing farmers in macadamia-producing areas to resume operations. The ban, implemented on December 1 of the previous year, was intended to ensure nut maturity and safeguard Kenya's reputation in international markets.
- The ban was necessitated by findings from a macadamia phenological survey indicating significant immaturity in nuts across various production zones.
Dr. Bruno Linyiru , Director General of AFA, confirmed the re-opening after surveillance revealed that most nuts in lower-altitude, coffee-growing zones had attained physiological maturity.- Kenya ranks as the third-largest global producer of macadamia nuts, with key growing regions including Embu, Meru, Kiambu, and Murang’a.
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Government Announces Macadamia Ban Lift, Tax Reforms, and an Agricultural Scam Alert - February 2026
Kenya's Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has lifted a seasonal ban on the harvesting and trading of macadamia nuts, effective February 1, 2026. The ban was implemented on December 1 of the previous year to ensure nut maturity. In other news, the government has introduced reforms in the Finance Bill 2026 aimed at resolving long-standing VAT refund delays, which will save agricultural exporters billions of shillings. Concurrently, the Ministry of Agriculture has warned Kenyans about fake social media accounts impersonating the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Authority (KALRO). KALRO explicitly stated it is not affiliated with nine such fraudulent accounts.
