NAIROBI: Kenya’s fresh and animal produce exports to top European markets could be reduced unless the country meets the high sanitary standards, Industrialisation CS, Wilson Songa said on Monday.
He said emerging pests and diseases, ill-equipped border inspection points and newly set maximum residue level on produce are a major threat to the country’s export trade. This, he said, puts the country at risk of losing grip of the potential Sh60 billion annual earnings from the export of fresh produce.
“The potential of agriculture performance is underutilised especially in the international trade. The country needs to meet the necessary market standards to ensure we benefit and even tap into other areas,” said Songa.
He was speaking in Nairobi during the Standards and Market Access Programme steering committee meeting. He said the Kenya Bureau of Standards, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services and the Department of Veterinary Services should urgently adress the matter.
Kenya received Sh1.4 billion in May this year from the European Union to help improve its standards under the SMAP. The programme is aimed at enhancing quality and compliance of standards for exports and the local food market. It provides testing equipment and monitoring systems.
Early this year, Kenya was put on notice over possible trade restrictions on horticulture exports to the EU, if it fails to reduce pesticide residue levels and harmful micro-organisms by the end of September.
