Kenya has been pushing for its avocadoes to be exported to South Africa
for more than a year but the efforts have not borne fruit. PHOTO | FILE
A trade dispute is brewing between Kenya and South Africa over
failure to lift a ban on export of local avocadoes imposed in 2010.
The market restriction was imposed by South Africa after local produce was found to be invested with fruit fly.
However,
Kenya says that South Africa has declined to reopen the market yet the
country has implemented a pest management plan agreed between the two
nations.
“They have kept moving the
goal posts. We have written to them over the matter but they have not
been replying to our letters. We are going to take up the matter to know
why they have declined to respond to us,” said Kenya Plant Health
Inspectorate Services (Kephis) managing director Esther Kimani.
Closure
of the South African market dealt a body blow to Kenyan farmers.
Avocado exports to South Africa were earning local farmers Sh120 million
every year on average. Experts say although the South African market
is relatively small for the Kenyan avocado industry, the ban has the
potential to shake the confidence of international market on local
produce. After South Africa shut its market, Mauritius followed suit.
INFESTED FRUIT
Concerns over fruit fly emerged in 2003, and industry insiders say the pest is thought to have originated from Sri Lanka.
Apart
from avocadoes, fruit fly attacks mangoes, guavas, citrus, papayas,
tomatoes, bananas, cashew nuts, pepper, pears, melons and other tropical
fruits.
Kenya has been pushing for
its avocadoes to be exported to South Africa for more than a year but
the efforts have not borne fruit. “We want South Africa to tell us what
else remains for our avocadoes to be allowed in its market again,” she
said.
Trade between the two countries
is in favour of South Africa, which has a more developed industry and a
diversified economy than Kenya.
According
to the 2014 Economic Survey, Kenya’s exports to South Africa was about
Sh3.277 billion in 2013 compared to imports in the same year valued at
Sh70.7 billion, the largest source of goods for Nairobi from an African
country.
According to the survey,
imports from South Africa grew massively from Sh61.9 billion in 2012 and
in 2013, about half of the value of imports from African countries that
stood at Sh147.8 billion.
However,
with a new online system — Plant Import and Quarantine Regulatory System
— launched last week, Ms Kimani said that screening of imported seeds
and grains would assist the country in averting trade disputes such as
the one gripping the avocado trade at the moment.
Products that have pests and other harmful insects would be detected and prevented from getting into Kenya, she said.
The
system would ensure that all importers of plant materials obtain a
permit from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services. The dealers
would download regulation guidelines and communicate promptly with the
plant inspectorate when importing such materials.
PLANT HEALTH RISKS
Kenya’s horticulture industry contributes over Sh100 billion every year to the economy.
Agriculture
Cabinet secretary, Mr Felix Koskei, has said the industry should be
guarded from threats such as pests and unintended genetic interference
from imports.
“Importation of plants and plant products
into the country poses huge plant health risks, which if not properly
regulated could have far-reaching economic and food security
implications,” Mr Koskei said.
“Over
the years, where import regulations have failed, economies have suffered
crop losses, huge cost incurred in attempts to contain pest outbreaks
or inclusions.”
He cited the entry of
large grain borer commonly referred to as Osama into the country. The
pest had over the years been causing huge losses of maize in storage
stores before it was contained.
No comments :
Post a Comment