Macadamia nuts, with their supply unable to meet the growing global demand, are the most expensive nuts worldwide. The demand for these nuts is increasing by approximately 8 percent annually. Kenya, positioned as the third-largest producer globally after Australia and South Africa, holds a 13 percent market share, translating to 7,750 tonnes on a kernel basis. Over 90 percent of Kenya's macadamia production is destined for export markets such as the US, EU, China, Japan, Hong Kong, and Canada.
Exotic EPZ, established in 2017, is instrumental in facilitating Kenyan farmers' access to international markets, including the Netherlands, parts of the USA, Spain, Germany, Italy, and China. This company, unique for being entirely women-owned and employing over 180 individuals, was co-founded by Jane Maigua, alongside Charity Ndegwa and Loise Maina.
They source macadamia nuts from local smallholder farmers, process them, and then export the raw kernels. Maigua, inspired by her background and a desire to foster entrepreneurship and create opportunities, especially for women in corporate businesses, envisions expanding Exotic EPZ's product line to include specialty oils and roasted nuts for the domestic market, with a goal to increase annual production to 5,000MT.
Source: biznakenya.com