A miraa farm in Igembe region of Meru County
PHOTO-Maxwell Mwirigi
By Gerald Mutethia
Leaseholds on Miraa farms, expensive transportation of the crop, and uncertain markets are the main reasons Miraa farmers live in abject poverty despite believing Miraa growers are rich.
Most of the Miraa Land cruisers, Vans, and Lorries are owned by Somali Origin traders and business people, Kikuyu and Imenti businesswomen, The Eastern Newspaper can reveal.
50 vehicles carrying Miraa crop crisscross several counties at a speed not less than 100 km per hour ferrying the highly perishable crop that earns billions of shillings in the Country.
Miraa growing region farmers still remain lamenting in abject poverty
The Eastern Newspaper visited several Miraa collection, packaging, and loading centers where farmers called on the government to rope in and save farmers’ expenses on taxation.
At Muringene market Centre which supplies the produce to Nairobi and surrounding areas, many farmers recalled how they suffered before the rains.
Ismael Juma, a Miraa farmers’ leader said Miraa from Laare which is destined for Mombasa and surrounding areas had hiked making many revelers prefer affordable types.
“Water for irrigation is very expensive as farmers buy the commodity making the prices skyrocket where 100kgs sack was going at Sh200, 000. We are grateful Somalia started taking our Miraa, which is the only export international market,” Juma said.
In Kiengu as well as some other parts of Igembe Central and Igembe North, farmers didn’t have anywhere to take Miraa before the rains and they had thrown in the towel.
At peak rainy seasons when it has rained currently, Miraa is sold in 28 counties and the surplus remains.
Nyambene Miraa traders and farmers association (NYAMITA) chairman Kimathi Munjuri says he is lobbying farmers to lower Miraa prices that had gone high due to the serious problems to access water for irrigation.
“Today, 100 tonnes of 50 vehicles are leaving Maua every day and the majority are for local markets,” he said.
Munjuri added that Miraa transporting vehicles are very expensive to buy as well as to maintain.
“What is there is realignment; we have our own vehicles and some farmers transport their own produce if their order for supply is enough coming from their own farm. Maintaining a Miraa vehicle is an expensive affair. It has to be serviced every week and this means overall.
The smallest vehicle has six tires that must be replaced in one week, while one tire costs Sh25,000, the brake pads, and plates cost about 50,000 and fueling is not less than 15, 000.
We have people who have come to trade in the transport sector. It is not true that Miraa farmers do not want to own Miraa transporting vehicles but only that they are expensive, if one can, then why can’t they own,” he said. Munjuri said this is an indicator that locally; they have been pushed out, where traders now have brand new vehicles.
“Earlier we exported Miraa with our own vehicles like it is the case with Somalia traders who export with own Land cruisers. Today, there is barely one Meru-owned vehicle exporting Miraa to Somalia. You can invest in a Pickup but getting orders is a tall order.
The Imenti women have majored in vehicles alone similarly to that of matatus brought to a stage and driver or in charge is given a target of some strict amount of money for each day,” Munjuri said.
Leasing Miraa farms
Leasing is inevitable due to challenges that need to be sorted out immediately, especially school fees and others.
The remedy to this challenge is to be solved by Miraa Revitalization Fund and completely address the issue of the lease and ease the burden on farmers.
Munjuri said the Association has submitted itemized list they want to be settled by Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi provision of a reviving fund.
“We want to cure that disease and Miraa must be in the category of other cash crops. Miraa has a directorate at the toothless AFA but it has never had a Board. When you get to point of leasing your farm, it means you don’t have income. Leasing also depends on the trader’s connections with a guaranteed buyer of the produce. But the farmer gets a very poor bargain, no value for his farm at all. Market challenges are the biggest. It has not improved even now,” Munjuri said.
In 2020 there arose disagreements between then Agriculture CS Peter Munya and NYAMITA over the Ministry of Agriculture opting to channel some funds to new found Mwenge Miraa Sacco instead of the Commodity Fund.
Why you should maintain high hygiene in handling Miraa
Miraa is a crop that was discovered early years before the colonial period but its consumption was not in large quantities as it is today.
There are several types of Miraa and the most expensive and the most expensive reserved for export to Somalia is Griid while other types include Allele, Kisa, Kulumbu, Masenge, and others.
The Miraa ban in major international markets in the UK, Canada, Netherlands, and the US was on grounds of hygiene and drug-related claims but scientists have conducted research after another to prove the stimulant content in the Miraa.
Miraa was approved as a cash crop in Kenya through the Crop Act 2013 no. 16 with an amendment in 2016. However, there have been concerns raised regarding psychological dependence or addiction resulting from long-term use of Miraa leading to the banning of the crop in some countries
Miraa is known to contain Cathaine and Cathionine which are compounds classified and prohibited under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act CAP 245 of 1994.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has approved a new code of practice to guide the sanitary production and distribution of miraa produce in the country.
Bernard Njiraini says the new Kenya National Workshop Agreement (KNWA) – KNWA 2940: 2021, Miraa (Khat) industry Code of practice requires operators in the miraa supply value chain including, miraa growers, propagators, aggregators, transporters, shippers, and cargo handlers to observe hygiene practices, ensure sanitary operations, comply with food packaging requirements, keep relevant records and labeling system that demonstrate traceability, while also adhering to relevant regulations including worker’s health, safety, and welfare.
“The code of practice will ensure hygienic production and handling from the farms to final distribution channels. Additionally, the new guidelines will be used by the sector regulators for the registration and certification of operators along the entire value chain. This will facilitate businesses to meet market and pre-export sanitary requirements”, Njiraini says.
The code of practice was developed in consultation with the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development (MoITED), the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives – Crop Directorate, Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), Pharmacy and Poisons Boards (PPB), Government Chemist, the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), among other stakeholders.
