Kenya tea will continue to access the Sudanese market without
hurdles as standards watchdogs from both countries conduct joint
research to determine the actual shelf life of the commodity.
Kenya
Bureau of Standards (Kebs) and Sudan Standards and Metrology
Organisation (SSMO) are carrying out a three-year joint scientific
research expected to come up with the mutually acceptable expiry date.
“Kenya’s
tea will continue accessing Sudan market without restrictions as the
three-year study is going on,” Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Adan
Mohamed told the Business Daily.
In 2015, SSMO revised the shelf-life from three years to one-and-a-half years — a major blow to Kenya’s top foreign earner.
Deputy President William Ruto and Sudan President Omar El Bashir
met in Sudan last week where this and the long-standing trade barrier
requiring Kenya to seek permit every year for exporting tea were
discussed and resolved.
The
standoff over the sell-by date threatened tea exports to Sudan, which
is among Kenya’s top 10 buyers of the commodity, pushing down the
volumes purchased by Khartoum in 2015 by 19 million kilogrammes.
Sudan is a key buyer of Kenya’s tea and last year emerged position six having purchased beverage worthy Sh5 billion.
Kebs
started testing tea destined to Sudan in January following the request
by Khartoum as one of the conditions for accessing the market.
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