The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has announced the reopening of the seasonal macadamia nuts harvesting and trading window, effective February 1, 2026.
The reopening follows an assessment of crop maturity levels across key macadamia-producing regions in the country.
The crop contributes to foreign exchange earnings, with production concentrated in counties such as Murang’a, Kiambu, Embu, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Meru and parts of Central and Eastern Kenya.
According to AFA, the seasonal closure, which has been in place since December 1, 2025, was introduced to safeguard kernel quality, oil content, shelf life and to protect Kenya’s reputation in the international macadamia market.
The closure is scheduled to remain in force until February 15, 2026 after which harvesting and trading activities will resume fully.
In 2023, Kenya exported $57.7 million of macadamia nuts, primarily to China, the USA, and Germany (major export markets).
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Kenya is a top-three global producer of macadamia nuts, contributing roughly 13 to 20% of the world’s supply, with annual exports reaching approximately 12,700 to 60,000 metric tons, depending on whether the data measures kernel or nut-in-shell (NIS).
During the closure period, the Authority continued to monitor crop development and enforce compliance measures, particularly in areas where premature harvesting had previously been reported.
Between 19 and 23 January 2026, AFA conducted a targeted macadamia maturity surveillance exercise across major producing counties to establish whether nuts had attained physiological maturity.
The surveillance exercise revealed variations in maturity levels across different agro-ecological zones.
“Macadamia nuts grown in lower-altitude coffee growing areas had largely reached maturity, with some nuts naturally falling to the ground,” reads a statement in part from the authority.
AFA has, however, cautioned farmers and traders to harvest only mature nuts and allow immature ones to continue developing in order to maintain quality standards.
Macadamia is one of Kenya’s most important export crops and a key source of income for thousands of smallholder farmers.
In 2024, there was a major decline in export earnings for shelled nuts by 69% to Ksh.5.8 billion due to market disruptions.
