Farmers push to declassify miraa as a drug, eye more export markets

Somalia is the biggest export market for miraa. [File, Standard]

The Nyambene Miraa Farmers and Traders Association (Nyamita) has said the removal of miraa (khat) from the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Act 1994 is key to the development of the crop, even as they eye additional export markets.

Nyamita Chairman Kimathi Munjuri said that as they fight to regain lost export markets such as the UK and Netherlands, the declassification of miraa as a psychotropic substance is their top priority, as this will open up opportunities for value addition of the crop widely grown in Nyambene region (Igembe and parts of Tigania) in Meru county.

"Another great target that can be a game changer is the value addition of miraa which is currently subjugated by our own law - the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Act which NACADA uses to demonise our crop," Mr Munjuri said.

While farmers and traders had found it difficult to recover following the ban of miraa from the lucrative UK market more than 10 years ago, Munjuri said farmers and other stakeholders along its value chain were hopeful that more potential export markets can be pursued, including in the Middle East and Far East.

According to the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Somalia is still the biggest export market, taking about 17,000 tons a month.

The association, comprising farmers, transporters and other traders, is hopeful that potential markets can be secured if the national government is committed to developing the crop.

"The long-targeted but evasive market of Djibouti can be a very prime market for us. It has full potential to take 15 tons of fresh Khat daily. This is fully supplied by Ethiopia today. We also have other prospective destinations, especially Tanzania, Uganda and the Middle East, which have very impressive indicators but, which are limited by the laws in place there," he said.