New Miraa Act Demands Farmers to Obtain a License from County Governments

By Lynnet Okumu / Published June 24, 2022 | 2:34 pm

KEY POINTS

All the farmers must comply with the regulations and Miraa (Khat) industry- Code of Practice to receive the license, which will be issued within five working days of application.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Meanwhile, a miraa trader who wants to get into a contract with growers or growers association must register the agreement with the County Government and submit a copy to the Authority.

Farmers looking to operate a commercial miraa (khat) nursery will be required to obtain an annual license from their county government according to the Crops (miraa) Regulations Act, 2021.

All the farmers must comply with the regulations and Miraa (Khat) industry- Code of Practice to receive the license, which will be issued within five working days of application.

The regulations as stated in the Act include supplying quality planting material and keeping accurate records of distributed planting materials.

Also, the nursery operator must submit annual commercial nursery returns to their county government.

The Act stipulates that small-scale farmers must register under a grower’s association to access economies of scale. The grower’s association must also be registered under the Agriculture and Food Association.

Meanwhile, a miraa trader who wants to get into a contract with growers or growers association must register the agreement with the County Government and submit a copy to the Authority.

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They’ll need to indicate the price payable to the grower and pay them for the Miraa delivered within seven days.

Other regulations in the Crops (Miraa) Regulations Act 2021 stipulate that Miraa exporters will be registered in 30 days upon payment of 20,000 shillings for an exporter’s license and 2,000 shillings for an exporter’s permit.

Importers, on the other hand, will pay 30,000 and 5,000 shillings. An annual renewal fee of 10,000 shillings will be charged for export and 15,000 shillings for import.

Anyone who will not act as per the regulations will be liable to three years imprisonment, a five million shillings fine, or both

The act also affects the Miraa vendors who must register with their county government and sell miraa at designated points.

For smooth implementation of these regulations, The Agriculture and Food Authority, in consultation with the County Executive Committee Member, will initiate and coordinate training programs for service providers, growers, and dealers.

The Crops (miraa) Regulations Act, 2021 also provides for the formation of a miraa pricing formula committee that the Agriculture Cabinet Secretary will appoint.