By ALLAN ODHIAMBO, aodhiambo@ke.nationmedia.com
In Summary
- 45 consignments of contaminated fresh produce sourced from Kenya were intercepted in the four months to April.
- This cements a trend analysts warned could ruin the country’s competitiveness if not checked.
- The banned shipments are set to up pressure on Kenya to enhance safety measures on its horticulture exports as it emerges that some farmers are still using banned pesticides during production.
The reputation of Kenya’s horticulture exports
to the European Union remains under threat as local dealers step up
smuggling of rejected flowers and fruits to Europe.
Data from European Food Safety Commission showed
that 45 consignments of contaminated fresh produce sourced from Kenya
were intercepted in the four months to April — cementing a trend
analysts warned could ruin the country’s competitiveness if not checked.
This is up from 41 consignments captured in the
same period last year and pales in comparison to nine contaminated
shipments from Ethiopia, which rivals Kenya in the export of flowers to
the EU.
The banned shipments are set to up pressure on
Kenya to enhance safety measures on its horticulture exports as it
emerges that some farmers are still using banned pesticides during
production.
“We have had a lot of sensitisation on the strict
safety requirements in the EU but a few guys out there don’t seem to
heed the word,” Joseph Waweru, a mid-sized horticulture producer in
Limuru said by phone. “Unfortunately we may all be affected in the long
run.”
Kenya may lose its position as the world’s biggest
horticultural exporter, in the wake of the rising cost of production
and compliance bottlenecks linked to the tighter safety measures.
There are concerns that flower importers are shifting focus to Ethiopia and India, which have cheaper flowers than Kenya.
Kenya earned Sh93 billion from the cultivation of
fruit, vegetables, flowers and nuts last year, up from Sh87.71 billion
in 2012.
The European Parliament has adopted tough measures
on food safety in which all consignments entering the bloc must be
subject to thorough scrutiny right from the point of origin.
Under the new regulations, exporters to the EU are
required to fill a Common Entry Document which would be counter checked
by authorities to confirm compliance with all safety controls on
harmful elements such as Aflatoxins, pesticide residues and heavy metals
such as lead.
The European Food Safety Authority then verifies that the residue is safe for all its consumer groups.
Dr James Onsando, the managing director of Kenya
Plant Health Inspectorate service, said that although under increased
scrutiny, 90 per cent of Kenyan produce still enters the EU market
without testing, adding that of the 10 per cent that undergoes mandatory
testing, about four per cent gets notified.
“It is possible to go from 10 per cent scrutiny to
two per cent or less for our key horticultural exports if farmers and
exporters do not re-export produce that has been rejected,” he said in a
statement. Farmers must also adhere to the authorised and registered
pesticides, observe pre-harvest intervals before harvesting, and use
only the appropriate pesticides, he said.
A number of Kenyan consignments have recently been
locked out of the EU after buyers raised concern over the use of a
pesticide known as dimethoate that is popular among vegetable farmers.
It is mainly used by tomato, cabbage and kale farmers to kill mites and
insects.
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