This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
Published on June 26, 2020
Man sets eyes on macadamia empire ¶
Mr Mohammad Khan, a Kenyan entrepreneur, has built a thriving macadamia nut business, leveraging the crop's health benefits and export potential.
With a background in medicine, Khan was drawn to macadamia nuts due to their ability to lower bad cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
After researching the market, Khan settled in Thika town, where he established a factory to process and export macadamia nuts.
The factory, which has been in operation for nine years, follows strict hygiene protocols to ensure the quality of the nuts.
‘Everyone working in or visiting the factory has to observe high levels of hygiene to avoid any contamination or compromise of the quality of macadamia nuts,' Khan explained.
The factory sources raw nuts from farms in Embu, Meru, Nyeri, and Kirinyaga counties, where they are cleaned and processed before being packaged in 11.3 kilogramme bags.
Khan's business has seen significant growth, with the value of macadamia nuts appreciating from Sh45 to Sh50 per kilogramme in 2010 to Sh240 per kilogramme in 2019.
Today, Khan's factory exports 32,660 kilogrammes of packed macadamia nuts every month, with the majority going to international markets.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges for Khan's business, forcing him to innovate and diversify his products to remain relevant in the market.
He has since introduced macadamia oil, milk, and cosmetic products, which he hopes to sell both locally and in Bangladesh.
‘Farmers should embrace growing macadamia nuts because there's a bright future for the sector,' Khan said.
