National Macadamia Conference: Listed agribusiness firm Kakuzi Plc, which is also the largest single-estate macadamia grower in Kenya, has called for a collaborative approach amongst Macadamia Crops stakeholders to boost local consumption through a value-added marketing model.
Notwithstanding Kenya’s positioning as the third-largest Macadamia exporter globally, after South Africa and Australia, Kakuzi estimates that Kenyans consume less than 5% of the overall national production, which is estimated at more than 63,000 metric tons.
Speaking when he addressed delegates at the ongoing National Macadamia Conference at Embu University, Kakuzi General Manager, Macadamia Operations, Mr Mathias Muinde, expressed regret that the domestic consumption of Macadamia products remains low at less than 3,000 metric tons despite its latent potential both as a snack and oil crop.
“Kenyan Macadamia competes at the same league as South African and Australian produce, and all the value chain stakeholders need to work together to at least double the local consumption of our quality Macadamia,” Muinde said. He added, “The potential doubling of local Macadamia consumption to around 6,000 metric tonnes calls for innovative value addition through the production and packaging of quality snacks, cold-pressed cooking oils, gluten-free flour, organic manure and biomass fuels from the shells.”
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He emphasised the importance of empowering smallholder farmers by equipping them with agronomic practices. He noted that farmers’ groups can benefit from meaningful engagement with industry leaders, such as Kakuzi, by learning from their value-added initiatives to improve productivity and secure sustainable growth.
Additionally, he disclosed there is great potential to diversify macadamia products and spur domestic demand, a strategy that can address the current challenges in macadamia uptake.
“As part of its product diversification strategy, Kakuzi has successfully expanded into a range of macadamia value-added products including cold-pressed macadamia oil, roasted nuts, flour, and now beginning activated charcoal from macadamia shells. This has attracted interest from both national and international stakeholders”, Mathias added.
Organised by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), the National Macadamia Conference brings together macadamia industry stakeholders, including processors, farmers, researchers, academia, and policymakers, to create awareness about macadamia’s economic and health benefits. This conference is scheduled from the 4th to the 6th June 2025 and is expected to attract over 1,000 delegates across the macadamia value chain.
The conference provides a platform to highlight innovation in production and processing technologies for sustainability and resilience. The theme of this year’s conference is: Empowering Kenya’s macadamia industry through collaborations for enhanced value and sustainability.
Kakuzi is a trailblazing value addition in its macadamia division through cold processing edible oil and exploring regional and international markets. The processing plant has an installed capacity of 2000 tonnes of Saleable Kernel (SK), making it one of the largest in Kenya. The macadamia division has enabled Kakuzi to provide more than 1,200 decent jobs for the local population. Its operation upholds traceability compliance in line with international standards, a practice worthy of emulation by smallholder farmers.
