The Government is ready to engage macadamia processors and exporters if they are ready to offer farmers better pay, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said.
Speaking when he opened the Agricultural Society of Kenya Mombasa International Show on Thursday, Gachagua said the government is ready for a discussion on minimum returns before any action of stopping farmers from exporting directly.
“Macadamia processors want us to stop farmers from exporting raw products of macadamia. The Ruto Administration has no problem with that provided we sit down and agree on a minimum return, which should not be below what the farmers are earning today. If they are amiable to that discussion, we have agreed with the Cabinet Secretary of Agriculture Dr Andrew Karanja to engage them as early as tomorrow,” he said.
The Deputy President said the processors must pay what the farmers are earning now or more, between Sh100 and Sh150 per kilogram.
Gachagua also said the farmer, irrespective of the subsector is king, therefore, there is no going back on taking short-term measures to cushion them from exploitation.
On coffee, he said the Government is working on compliance with the European Union Deforestation (EUDR) by December 30, 2024, to enable farmers to continue accessing the European market, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said.
Gachagua said the EUDR reinforces the ongoing reforms in the Coffee Subsector, moreso traceability of the produce from the farm to the cup of the consumer.
The EUDR requires importers and exporters of coffee, timber, palm oil, cocoa, and rubber, among others, to carry out due diligence to show that these items were not sourced from land where forests were cut down after December 2020. It is part of the EU’s strategy of fighting Climate Change by sustaining forests in countries of origin.
“The Government agencies have the requisite and sufficient data to set up a due diligence system. We have started the process of ensuring our coffee farmers comply by the December 30, 2024 deadline. The Government has mobilized Ministries, State Departments, and Agencies to form an Inter-Ministerial committee to fast-track compliance with the EU market requirements,” the Deputy President said.
