Miraa traders in Kenya doubled exports last year following the reopening of the Somalia market, but faced stiff competition from their rivals in Ethiopia.
Data from the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) shows that Kenya exported 6.2 million kilogrammes of miraa in 2023, all of which was destined for Somalia.
This is double the 3.1 million kilogrammes that were exported to the Horn of Africa country in 2022, following the resumption of exports that year.
However, the exports fell five months in a row in the second half of 2023, attributed to stiff competition from Ethiopian growers of the stimulant.
“In the year 2023, a total of 6,267,781kg of miraa was exported to Somalia. This represents a 50 percent increase compared to 3,132,802kg exported in 2022,” said AFA.
“Notably in 2023, export quantities declined from the month of August to December due to stiff competition from Ethiopia” it added.
The stiff competition for Kenya’s miraa follows a decision by Somalia last year to grant Ethiopia 10 days of exclusive miraa market access each month.
Local miraa farmers protested Somalia’s move, arguing that Ethiopia should compete openly and fairly with the Kenyan product. Ethiopia had petitioned Somalia to grant it protection in trading the product, arguing that Kenya had monopolised the miraa trade in Somalia.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud lifted a two-year ban on the export of miraa to Somalia in July 2022, which came as a major relief for Kenyan miraa farmers.
This followed talks with his then-Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta, and came just weeks before the hotly contested general election held in August of that year.
Exports to Somalia were initially capped at 19 tonnes a day when the ban was lifted, before being increased to 50 tonnes daily.
Kenya produces about 32,000 tonnes of miraa annually, valued at Sh13.1 billion. About 80 percent of the crop is sold to local consumers while 20 percent is exported.
Somalia is the main destination of miraa exports from Kenya, buying 99 percent of the exported crop.
Miraa is mainly grown in Mt Kenya East, with 65 percent of growers coming from Meru, according to AFA. The total acreage under the crop is 55,281 acres, with Meru and Embu accounting for 88.4 percent of the total acreage.
Other top growers include Kirinyaga, Tharaka Nithi, and Marsabit.
“Its cultivation and trade have greatly contributed to the country’s economy and development, through earnings of foreign exchange,” says AFA.
