In W33 in the macadamia landscape, the global macadamia market is projected to experience significant growth, increasing from USD 1.45 billion in 2023 to USD 2.43 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.88% during the forecasted period.
The High Court of Kenya has halted the government's plan to lift the ban on the export of raw macadamia and the decision to grant exclusive export rights to nine selected processors and dealers. The decision to give exclusive exportation rights to a select few companies for 90 days has been criticized for excluding over 41 industry dealers, processors, farmers, and stakeholders.
Furthermore, in response to the plummeting prices of macadamia nuts due to oversupply, the government of Kenya is considering diversifying the use of macadamia to support farmers' earnings. The Crop Development Principal Secretary announced that macadamia is being considered an edible oil-producing crop under the National Edible Oil Crops Project. This addition aims to alleviate the impact of the global glut on farmers, who have been struggling due to the drop in commodity prices. The overproduction of macadamia has led some farmers in Central Kenya to replace macadamia trees with more economically viable crops. Some farmers use the nuts for animal feed or sell them to tea factories for fuel. The increased domestic consumption of macadamia nuts in various value-added forms is expected to help address the challenge and improve farmers' incomes.