By George Munene
Talks are ongoing between the Kenyan and Djibouti governments on the export of miraa/khat to the East African country. Kenya is also in talks with The Democratic Republic of Congo and plans to engage other African nations in an effort to find an alternative to the lucrative Somali market where the stimulant remain embargord.
Related News: Halt in miraa exports grounds Sh16M daily trade
“In the next two weeks, the trade minister of Djibouti will be in Kenya. We hope to have him visit miraa farms in Mau to show him where and how how the miraa we hope they’ll be exporting is farmed,” said Lawrence Karanja, Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS), Ministry of Industrialization, Trade & Enterprise Development.
Speaking in Meru County, the CAS added that there exists plenty of opportunity in agricultural trade with landlocked Djibouti which imports most of it’s agroproduce especially fruits such as avocados and bananas.
Related News: Ministry of agriculture sets up Sh48M credit fund for miraa farmers
The miraa agricultural sub-sector is the main source of livelihood for up to 50,000 households. A diplomatic impasse which has lasted over 1½ years between Kenya and Somalia–the crop’s main export market–has however ground it’s trade which netted about Sh16 million daily.