Listed agribusiness firm Kakuzi Plc has renewed its investment commitments in Murang’a county with plans to expand its agricultural production, environmental and corporate citizenship engagements.
Speaking at the opening of the 1st Murang’a County Investment Conference on Friday, Kakuzi Plc Managing Director Chris Flowers said the firm is lining up several capital investment projects valued at more than Sh1.2 billion in the medium term to accelerate its commercial and social impact.
The projects, he said, include expanded agricultural production and value-added ventures for macadamia, avocado, livestock, and commercial forestry revenue streams.
Last year, Kakuzi unveiled a new macadamia oil processing plant with a daily extraction capacity of 1,000 litres of cold-pressed cooking oil.
Alongside the macadamia oil processing plant, the Kakuzi Macadamia Processing Plant has an installed capacity of 2000 tons of saleable kernel (SK), making it one of the largest in the region.
“As part of the Murang’a to the world mantra, at Kakuzi, we are proud to be part of the Murang’a County Economic and Social engine and contributing to Kenya’s global positioning as an agribusiness powerhouse. From our Makuyu sub-county operating base, we are undoubtedly Kenya’s number one quality avocado and macadamia exporter,” Flowers told delegates at the conference, who included Chief Guest President William Ruto and the host Murang’a Governor Dr Irungu Kang’ata.
“We currently have three commercially produced crops, and we intend to add a fourth crop in our expanded investments journey even as we expand the integration and active use of agricultural technology (AgTech) solutions and diversify our domestic and export markets to enhance shareholder returns.”
As part of its strategic plans to increase production over the medium term, the firm disclosed plans to nearly double avocado production and exports from 3 million to 5 million four-kilo equivalent cartons. Kakuzi is also planning to increase its Macadamia production from 900 tons of kernel to 1,500 tons.
He noted that Kakuzi Blueberry crops have the potential to generate significant revenue streams while allowing the firm to diversify its footprint into significantly different geographical markets.
As part of Kakuzi’s quest to become carbon-neutral, the firm has also explored potential avenues to use macadamia shells for energy generation, as they are an excellent source of activated carbon.
Macadamia Nut Oil presents a lucrative opportunity for farmers to maximise the value of their macadamia harvests.
Despite Kenya’s status as a significant macadamia producer, domestic consumption is still very low. Kakuzi aims to change this narrative by promoting the use of macadamia products within our country, creating different market opportunities for farmers and driving economic growth.
Recently, Kakuzi also officially launched a range of consumer products developed over the past two years for the domestic market, including ready-to-eat macadamia nuts, gluten-free macadamia flour, Macadamia cereal mix, and blueberry packs.
Kakuzi’s Macadamia Oil is now available at select retail stores and the firm’s online e-commerce platforms and can be used for deep frying, cooking, and mixing with salads, among other uses.
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