This archive report was first published on 22 May 2020.
On May 22, 2020, the Kenyan government made a significant move to boost trade and agriculture by waiving mandatory inspection fees on seed and pesticides at the country of origin.
Trade Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina had previously waived the pre-export verification of conformity (PVoC) from the country of origin for six months due to importer complaints.
However, in a special issue of the gazette notice dated April 28, Ms Maina went a step further by exempting seed and pesticide among other items from the requirement.
This move is expected to reduce the cost of imports, making seed more readily available and affordable for farmers.
According to Duncan Onduu, CEO of the Seed Trade Association of Kenya, this is a welcome move that will benefit farmers in the country.
Since the introduction of the certificate of conformity rules last year, seed importers have incurred Sh24 million in penalties for lacking the conformity certificate, increasing their cost of doing business.
