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Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Sen.Mutahi Kagwe
- CS Mutahi Kagwe warns Macadamia Processors,Unveils Coffee Expansion drive,Cracks Down on Factory Debt Mismanagement and Secures Nyeris’s First-Ever Agricultural Reasearch Hub;
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Sen. Mutahi Kagwe has issued a tough ultimatum to macadamia processors to buy all locally produced nuts at the government-set minimum price of KSh100 per kilo or risk the reopening of raw in-shell exports, as he simultaneously unveiled a major coffee expansion programme, warned against reckless borrowing by cooperative factories and secured land for Nyeri’s first-ever agricultural research station.
Speaking in Nyeri, CS Kagwe said the Government will not allow brokers to continue exploiting farmers by buying macadamia at throwaway prices as low as KSh30 per kilo, only to resell the same produce to processors at the regulated price.
He said processors under the MACNUT Association of Kenya must absorb all locally produced macadamia to sustain local value addition, protect jobs and guarantee farmers fair returns.
“If processors are not taking all the macadamia produced in Kenya, I will open up exports of raw in-shell macadamia.
But I also want farmers to form cooperatives because unity gives you bargaining power and makes it easier for processors to take up produce,” said CS Kagwe.
The Cabinet Secretary also condemned theft targeting high-value crops such as coffee, avocados and macadamia, terming it economic sabotage.
“Coffee, avocado and macadamia theft must stop by all means. Sabotaging agriculture is treason because no country survives without food,” he said.
On coffee,CS Kagwe announced an aggressive recovery programme aimed at restoring Kenya’s global competitiveness in specialty coffee production.
He revealed that the Government will distribute one million coffee seedlings in Nyeri County, alongside an additional 10,000 seedlings for top-performing factories in every county, as part of efforts to increase Kenya’s coffee production from the current 49,000 metric tonnes to 150,000 metric tonnes.
The programme will also involve rehabilitation of old coffee trees while encouraging farmers to plant new ones as improved returns revive confidence in the sector.
“Farmers had started cutting down coffee because returns were poor. Today prices have improved and people are now returning to coffee farming because they are seeing real earnings,” said CS Kagwe.
He highlighted Nyeri as one of the biggest beneficiaries of coffee reforms, citing strong payouts by local factories.
Gachatha Coffee Factory, which paid farmers KSh155 per kilo and emerged as the best-performing factory in Nyeri County, has been awarded 200,000 coffee seedlings worth over KSh12 million, underscoring how reforms are translating into higher farmer earnings.
The CS said reforms under the new coffee legal framework are also progressing, with the Coffee Directorate under the Agriculture and Food Authority(AFA) transitioning into the Coffee Board of Kenya.
He added that the Coffee Research and Training Institute will operate under the new structure to strengthen research and farmer advisory services.
On mounting debts in agricultural cooperatives,CS Kagwe warned that Government bailouts and debt write-offs cannot continue indefinitely without accountability.
He said some tea and coffee factories have developed a dangerous culture of borrowing beyond their repayment capacity, only to later seek government intervention without proper accountability on how the funds were spent.
“Government cannot continuously write off debts when we do not even know and cannot audit what the money was used for,” said CS Kagwe.
He revealed that new regulations now require factories seeking loans to present clear business plans before borrowing in order to stop reckless financial decisions that ultimately hurt farmers.
The Cabinet Secretary challenged cooperative members to hold their leaders accountable and elect competent individuals capable of safeguarding farmer interests.
“I am appealing to Kenyans, especially members of cooperatives, to raise the quality of leaders they elect because it is poor leadership that is bringing factories down,” he said
In another major milestone for Nyeri, Governor Mutahi Kahiga allocated 20 acres of land to the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) for the establishment of Nyeri’s first-ever agricultural research station.
The Governor said the county government is ready to provide even more land if needed.
“If there is need for more land, we will give it,” said Governor Kahiga.
KALRO Board Chairman Dr. Thuo Mathenge said implementation will begin immediately.
“I have instructed the Director General to commence work immediately,” he said.
The new research centre will focus on both crop and livestock innovation, with CS Kagwe saying it will help unlock productivity in semi-arid areas such as Kieni while enabling farmers to produce more food from limited land resources.
“Land is not expanding, but our population keeps growing.We must find ways of producing more food from the same land through research, innovation and partnerships with counties,” said CS Kagwe.
He added that Nyeri County has also allocated another 30 acres for the Kenya School of Agriculture and 15 acres for the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), signalling deeper collaboration between county and national governments in transforming agriculture.
CS Kagwe said such partnerships will be critical in increasing farmer incomes, creating jobs and securing Kenya’s food future.
