Sasini ventures into macadamia farming

Sasini Limited Company will construct a Sh400million state of the art macadamia factory as part of diversifying farmers’ income.

The new macadamia processing facility is to be established in a 20 acre farm that has been marked as an export processing zone located next to its coffee mill in Kiambu County.

Sasini Group chairman Naushad Merali said the venture is part of the plan to diversify the coffee business and thus offer a new avenue for income generation to the farmers.

“We anticipate to generate a further Sh300,000 per hectare from this venture within the coming six years when we shall be at optimal production of macadamia nuts,” Mr Merali said during the group’s annual general meeting. .

The new facility will be operational by January 2018.

Sasini will deploy a team of agronomists and extension officers to plant the grafted macadamia nuts seedlings.

The firm becomes the latest new entrant in the lucrative macadamia nuts business.

Already Sasini has planted about 6,000 seedlings in its coffee plantations in Kiambu County and has over 20,000 seedlings in nurseries which will soon be planted in the expanded pilot project.

The company will deploy a team of agronomists and extension officers to plant the grafted macadamia nuts seedlings.

Sasini becomes the latest new entrant in the lucrative macadamia nuts business.

Report by Charles Kariuki