CS Kagwe orders integrated pest management to save macadamia nuts
Speaking during a high-level meeting with industry stakeholders, including Macadamia Association of Kenya Chairperson Jane Maigua, Kagwe was told that harmful pesticides and aggressive pest attacks are now wiping out up to 40 per cent of the country’s macadamia production.
Kenya has announced urgent measures to protect its macadamia industry as destructive pests continue to destroy nuts worth an estimated Sh2.88 billion every year.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe issued firm directives after sector leaders warned that farmers are suffering unprecedented losses linked to worsening pest infestations and the growing ineffectiveness of commonly used chemical pesticides.
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Speaking during a high-level meeting with industry stakeholders, including Macadamia Association of Kenya Chairperson Jane Maigua, Kagwe was told that harmful pesticides and aggressive pest attacks are now wiping out up to 40 per cent of the country’s macadamia production.
Maigua said Kenya produces about 45,000 metric tonnes of macadamia annually, with 44,100 MT being marketable, yet 17,640 MT are lost to insect damage. This includes more than 2,200 MT of high-value export kernels, resulting in billions of shillings in lost revenue.
She noted that the industry also spends heavily on electricity and labour at processing facilities as workers sort out insect-bitten nuts, further compounding the economic burden.
The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) identified stink bugs as the most destructive pest, followed by nut borers, lace bugs, moths, rats and thrips. The agency explained that these pests attack flowering nuts, bore into kernels, cause severe leaf damage and trigger premature nut drop.
KEPHIS warned that rising temperatures have worsened pest pressures to a point where many chemical pesticides are no longer effective, increasing the risk of exceeding international residue limits and threatening access to premium export markets.
In response, the Pesticide Control Products Board (PCPB) outlined a legal emergency provision that allows rapid authorisation of organic and pyrethrum-based products.
The Board said that once the Pyrethrum Processing Company of Kenya (PPCK) and KEPHIS identify specific pest pressures, it can immediately approve emergency-use options, conduct local efficacy trials, set scientific application rates, and work with county teams to train farmers on proper use to avoid residue violations.
PCPB CEO Fredrick Muchiri assured the CS that pyrethrum-based products would be fast-tracked provided they meet safety and efficacy requirements, emphasising the need to reduce Kenya’s dependence on imported synthetic pesticides, which now exceed 20 million kilograms annually.
CS Kagwe directed the State Department for Agriculture, KEPHIS, PCPB and county governments to intensify farmer sensitisation through radio programmes and field extension services, promote Integrated Pest Management practices, curb overreliance on imported pesticides and adopt safer, residue-compliant solutions that safeguard Kenya’s export reputation.
He also issued firm instructions on protecting the intellectual property of the Pyrethrum Processing Company of Kenya, warning that any private company using PPCK’s scientific formulation data must pay for access or face immediate withdrawal of permission.
Kagwe stressed that PPCK’s scientific data is a valuable national asset and a potential revenue stream that must be safeguarded as Kenya strengthens its domestic pyrethrum value chain.
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