Fresh produce farmers, firms banned from European Union market

Dr James Onsando, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) MD

More than 5,000 horticulture farmers and 11 horticulture firms have been banned from exporting fresh produce to the European Union (EU) market. The withdrawal of licences arises from the high levels of pesticides and other harmful organisms in their produce.

The move comes one and half months before the set deadline by the EU for Kenya to have fully contained the problem, after local producers and exporters were accused of consistently shipping produce that has high leaves of maximum residuals limits (MRLs) to the EU. This is contrary to new trading requirements by the EU, developed out of consumer preferences in EU.