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Miraa farmers eye Africa markets


Saturday June 29, 2019

Miraa farmers are eyeing the horn of Africa and southern Africa markets, with Ethiopia and Djibouti among target destinations.

They have toured the two countries on a benchmarking trip. Djibouti market will bring up to Sh120 million monthly for the crop that has suffered a ban in Europe, the United Kingdom and most of the G8 nations.

Government slashed the 2019/2020 budget allocation for the farming of the crop from Sh1 billion to Sh400 million.

“The visits are critical for Miraa farmers and traders to understand exactly what our potential markets want of us, so that we are able to sell our Miraa there,” Munjuri Sakijo, the chairman of Nyambene Miraa Traders Association said in an interview.

The team plans to export at least one ton of the crop to Mozambique’s Maputo market, while Djibouti can take up to five tons daily as it is a miraa-consuming nation.

“The teams that have visited the two destinations will be expected to answer why we are not selling to them, what we must do, whom to work with to begin business,” he said.

In Ethiopia, the team expects to maintain markets that have been lost in the past, as the crop looks to re-enter the European market. The team plans to build the market capacity to five tons per day in order to meet the demand in the 20 ton market.

The budget slashed the Sh1billion miraa fund proposal to Sh400 million,with the money meant to implement the Miraa Taskforce Report through sinking of boreholes, to enable watering of the crop for year round harvest.

Munjuri said the budgetary allocation of 2019/20 to Miraa should not be taken to mean that what should have been done in the Miraa industry in the 2018/19 financial year is a carry over. “We expect the projects of this financial year to be done and the ones planned for 2019/20 to be done too,” said chairman of the miraa traders  Kello Harsama.

 





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