This archive report was first published on 14 May 2020.
Kenya's horticulture industry is set to face a new challenge as the European Union tightens checks on residue levels in imported beans. The move, which comes into effect on May 26, 2020, will see all beans from Kenya subjected to a 10 percent mandatory sampling.
According to the EU's official journal, the bloc has issued a directive that will see excessive levels of pesticide residues likely to lead to a total ban on Kenyan beans. The EU is Kenya's main market for horticulture produce, and the new directive is expected to hit farmers and make the produce more expensive in the world market.
"We now need to get careful and ensure we use the right pesticide and avoid high residue levels that will risk a ban on our products to the EU market," said Ojepat Okesegere, chief executive at Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya.
The new requirement will also increase the cost of testing, with each test costing Sh20,000. Exporters will pass this cost on to farmers by paying less to recover expenses incurred in the exercise.
Mr. Okesegere also noted that the new requirement will reduce the shelf life of Kenya's produce as it will take at least two days for the tests to be concluded.
Beans are a key component in Kenya's horticultures industry, which earned the country Sh25 billion in foreign exchange last year. The EU had previously delisted Kenya for having partially complied with the requirements, but the country was later reinstated.
