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Khat, Miraa…call it by whichever name but this crop has the resilience of a rock. Despite being banned in European markets like the UK and the Netherlands, the crop has defied these setbacks by attracting new interests from a horde of stakeholders.
The Meru county government has
embarked on an initiative to add value to khat (miraa) in collaboration with partners
from the government and other agencies.
This was announced during a
meeting between the county department of trade and Kenya National Bureau of Standards
(KEBS) officials in Meru county headquarters. During the forum, Meru Deputy
Governor Titus Ntuchiu appealed to KEBS and the National Authority for the
Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) to delist miraa from the list
of narcotic drugs.
The Deputy Governor announced
that the county is pursuing the production of Miraa wine and Chewing gums as added
value to the crop saying that this is important as residents in miraa growing
areas of the county depended on the crop to earn a living. He termed listing of
Miraa as a narcotic drug a big blow to the county residents’ livelihoods.
In his remarks, KEBS chairman
Bernard Ngore called upon the county government to carry out thorough research as
a prerequisite to the production of wines and gum. He said that it is the county’s obligation to
provide products that are fit for consumption emphasizing that in safeguarding the
health of Kenyans, it is mandatory to seek the approval from the ministry of
health.
The KEBS boss commended the
efforts of the county government saying that his organization had no business
standing against anything that has been accorded a clean bill of health by the concerned
ministry. Ngore reminded participants that their mandate lies in ensuring that
the public was not subjected to consuming commodities likely to compromise
their health.
According to Agriculture and food
authority, 1 kg of miraa produces between 4 - 5 litres of wine.
Notable entrepreneurs already adding
value to the crop include Mr Maore Ithula of Rek East Africa Ltd and Kevin Nthiga,
a former student of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology who embarked
on the production of Miraa wines and juices. In a previous interview, Kevin said
that this sort of value addition helps in lengthening the lifespan of the crop
which ordinarily would not stay fresh past two days.
Value-added agriculture generates
several billion dollars in economic impact. The value addition approach offers the
much-needed reprieve to the herb’s farmers whose market has been shrinking and
has been worst hit by the disruptive and the destructive Covid-19 pandemic.
