Macadamia Farming in Embu County

Embu county is found in the former Eastern Province and its capital is Embu town. the county has a population of 543,221 people. It borders Kirinyaga to the West, Kitui to the East. Tharaka Nithi to the North and Machakos to the South.

Agriculture is the backbone and livelihood of the people of Embu county. Tis sector has employed over 70 per cent of the population and 88 per cent of the households are engaged in agricultural activities. Most of these crops are cash crops while others practice subsistence farming. The county heavily relies on agriculture as the source of income for its people and as the economic activity too.

Macadamia farming in the county has been embraced by more farmers lately since as it was discovered to bring about good returns. The crop has also proven market both locally and globally and it has great potential for poverty reduction due to its high value products and its low external input.

Embu county is the leading producer of Macadamia nuts in Kenya, which earns farmers an estimated Sh.260 million. This crop also makes about 66 per cent of the total value of the horticulture sub sector in the country.

This is where investors get the chance to explore the Macadamia industry. The crop has got high potential of contributing to income generation and it’s an important export crop. This is an area that has not been so much ventured into.

There is an increased awareness and demand for nutritious food both locally and in the global market. The nuts industry is increasingly becoming a significant contributor to the county’s economic growth. This is an opportunity to invest in this industry by putting up a modern Macadamia nuts processing plant.

This plant will be processing the products to be exported, and the advantage will be the proximity of Embu county to the capital city. This will make transportation of the products to the Airport very easy and at low costs.

Farmers will be encouraged to practice macadamia farming more as their produce will be bought easily by the presence of the processing plant near them. Enlightenment of these farmers to embrace farming technology will also lead to increased yields.

Investors are encouraged to take up this chance and explore the many investment opportunities in the field of Macadamia nuts.

Article by Vera Shawiza.