NAIROBI: A ban on the export of raw cashew nuts was imposed in 2009 by then Agriculture minister William Ruto, in the hope that farmers would earn better prices and more jobs would be created through value addition of the nuts. However, farmers say the ban has in fact impoverished them, while enriching local processors who manipulate prices to their advantage.
They said they used to sell a kilogramme for up to Sh80 to exporters but after the ban, the price has plummeted to less than Sh30. Kenya Cashew Nut Growers Association chairman Safari Mumba said the ban was supposed to be reviewed. “The agreement was that there would be reviews of its effectiveness.
The National Cereals and Produce Board was supposed to set up collection centres, which was not done, leaving farmers at the mercy of middle men,” he said. Cashew nut production has dropped from 14,000 tonnes 10 years ago to 7,000 in 2014. An official of the Nut Processors Association of Kenya Charles Muigai blamed the farmers for not delivering their produce to collection centres, saying local firms had the capacity to handle 20,000 tonnes annually.
