Nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda, wants the Ministry of Agriculture to provide the House with an updated list of the areas under nut farming in Kenya.
Mutinda while seeking a statement from the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, further wants the government to outline any strategies to facilitate access to finance and markets for smallholder nut farmers and processors.
“Outline any measures to enhance the production, processing, marketing and export of nuts, stating the steps the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is undertaking to ensure the process is environmentally and socially sustainable,” Mutinda said.
She also said that the government should provide ways and details of how to improve the marketing and distribution of nuts.
“State initiatives and programmes in place to attract foreign investment into the nut industry, detailing ways to improve the marketing and distribution domestically and internationally,” Mutinda said.
The senator urged the government to present the appropriate laws to enable the smooth growth of the nuts sector.
“Expound on the legislative gaps required to align the industry with the changing needs and circumstances globally, to ensure the processing and value addition of nuts is carried out efficiently and sustainably,” she said.
Most farmers in Kenya are now embracing high-value crops like groundnuts and soybeans ditching traditional crops like maize and beans.
It is estimated that a farmer can harvest up to 1.6 tonnes of groundnuts in an acre piece of land.
With groundnuts retailing upto Sh500 per kg.
