Export Ban On Miraa Hurts Meru Economy

With the closure of the overseas market, more than fifty per cent of khat produce in Meru will be going to waste.

By MARTIN MURITHI
Tuesday, 15 January, 2013

The effects of a ban on khat (miraa) export to the Netherlands, and another impending ban from sixteen other European countries, have started being felt across Nyambene region of Meru county where crop worth more than Sh13.5 million is going to waste daily. Within the last four years, Meru has earned more than Sh2 billion from the sale of khat in Europe.

Farmers and leaders from the region have bemoaned the ban and expressed need for alternative sources of income from other crops. Every year, khat has been bringing more than Sh500 million to the region from the European states, amidst radical calls from many sectors of the county government seeking to have the produce taxed for improvement of key facilities and infrastructure. There are also calls to have enhanced research conducted on the plant and to seek ways of processing and repackaging so that it can access new markets in durable form.

According to Dan Aritho who has been an exporter to the Netherlands, export khat is picked in the morning, passed through a series of packaging in smaller cartons and then taken to the Jomo Kenyatta airport ready for transit. “The vehicles ferrying such produce leave early and move at terrific speeds owing to the perishability of khat. Within less than twelve hours it’s normally in the market and our traders sell it while fresh,” said Aritho.

Once it gets to the market, the traders pay via electronic money transfer and the money is used to purchase khat for the next export day, which is normally done four days in a week. Khat meant for export is normally top grade and plantations are harvested every twenty-one days provided the rains are adequate and after 35 days when the rains are depressed.

Netherlands has been a distribution centre for other European nations that have been consuming the commodity which include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Greece Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The Dutch government issued letters signed by the state secretary for health, welfare and sports M J Van Rijn to all traders selling khat to cease stocking it since it had been classified under the opium act - the same category as bhang which is smoked in coffee shops.

Consumption of khat in Kenya has also been generating income where more than Sh30 million is traded daily around the major towns. Local consumption in Meru county remains a negligible five per cent of total production and with the closure of the overseas market, more than fifty per cent of the produce will be going to waste and this will take a great toll on the farmers who have been nurturing the herb for over 100 years.

The immediate effects of the ban have been witnessed in Maua town where more than fifty of more than 100 vehicles which were used to ferry the produce are parked at collection points, awaiting possible new markets. Economy grounded Similarly, thousands of young people, most of who dropped out of school at tender ages and relied upon the business for survival, will be left to look for other less lucrative sources of income, unlike when they earned more than Sh3,000 a day after picking khat.

While speaking on phone from Schiphol in the Netherlands, a renowned trader, Gideon Mugambi, said most of the kiosks have stopped operating across the country and some of the traders contemplate flying back to Kenya. According to the Nyambene Miraa Traders Association chairman Edward Mutura, the economy of the region will be grounded.