Traceability system to spur exports with digital fork-to-plate surveillance

AFA Board chairman Cornelly Serem says the system is set to improve accountability and make it easier to identify the source of produce when export consignments are intercepted because of pest infestations or excessive pesticide residues. [File, Standard]

Despite horticulture being a top export earner, excessive pesticide residue, compliance issues and produce theft remain some of the major challenges Kenyan farmers and exporters face, going by the number of interceptions.

The sector is one of Kenya’s leading foreign exchange earners, contributing about 34 per cent of the country’s agricultural gross domestic product.

According to the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) data, horticultural exports alone generated Sh143.7 billion in 2025, raising concerns that the country may lose billions if interceptions continue.

Horticulture stakeholders speaking at the closure of the New Export Trade (NExT) programme last year had warned about the surge in horticulture export interceptions, particularly in the beans sector, where smallholder farmers produce the bulk of exports.

Interceptions linked to the False Codling Moth (FCM) stood at 77 in 2018, rising to 87 by 2024, while those related to maximum residue levels (MRLs) increased from just two in 2018 to 41 in 2024.

Juliana Tele, the export manager at Karen Roses, who has grown and exported rose flowers and avocados for 35 years, says it has been difficult to protect and monitor produce throughout the supply chain.

Horticultural value chain

Juliana, who has experienced an FCM-related export ban, says it is one of the worst setbacks a farmer or exporter can face. Although her ban lasted only seven days, she lost millions of shillings.

Farmers and exporters like Juliana are banking on the launch of the National Horticulture Traceability System (NHTS), developed by AFA, to cushion them from loss of revenue.

The system is a centralised platform designed to regulate, monitor and trace horticultural activities from the farm to export across Kenya’s horticultural value chain.

“The NHTS is a major milestone for farmers. I am excited about its implementation because it will enhance the traceability of agricultural produce and improve transparency throughout the value chain,” she says.

The system, which also digitises operations, reduces the manual processes that have long forced farmers to contend with extensive paperwork, making compliance both costly and time-consuming.

Juliana recalls that previously, she’d send clerks to the airport to deliver documents for signing. With the system, everything can now be accessed and processed from the office.

“For example, if we need a permit, we can obtain it instantly and send it electronically to the airport. This eliminates the need to transport physical documents. The system is paperless, which helps reduce operational costs,” she explains.

Industry stakeholders are in support of the system, with Wanyohi Mukuria, chairperson of Avocado Aggregators Association of Kenya, saying that implementing the system is good for the industry.

According to the chair, traceability will enhance transparency, accountability and market access for Kenyan produce. However, he strongly believes its implementation should be done in phases.

“If implemented properly, traceability will strengthen our ability to market Kenyan produce internationally and improve confidence in our products. It will also enhance the image of our industry and support healthier and more transparent business practices,” he says.

He, however, suggests that farmers must undergo extensive training and sensitisation to understand what is expected of them.

Exporters, marketing agents, aggregators and all other stakeholders in the value chain must also be fully informed about their roles and responsibilities under the system.

He sees the role of aggregators as one of the major challenges. For example, a single ten-tonne consignment of avocados may be sourced from as many as 600 farmers.

Collecting and verifying the names, identification details, registration numbers and other required information for each farmer presents a significant logistical challenge.

Avocado Exporters Association of Kenya chief executive Joseph Wagurah agrees that the new national traceability system will strengthen the monitoring of avocado exports by enabling fruits to be tracked from the farm all the way to the export market.

Previously, each exporting company operated its own traceability system, but the process has now been harmonised into one national system.

This, he says, will make it easier to trace the source of fruits in case of rejection in the international market.“When a rejection is reported to the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis), the national plant protection agency will be able to identify exactly where the fruits came from and take the necessary action,” he explains.

The centralised traceability system is also expected to deepen Kenya’s avocado market penetration, particularly in the European Union, by boosting trust among international buyers.

Since the system is government-supported and nationally managed, importers are likely to have greater confidence in Kenyan avocados, which could in turn lead to increased acceptance of the fruit in export markets.

AFA Board chairman, Cornelly Serem says the system is set to improve accountability and make it easier to identify the source of produce when export consignments are intercepted because of pest infestations or excessive pesticide residues.

“It will provide importers and regulators with critical information about where crops originate, the pesticides and fertilisers used and the farming practices applied throughout production,” he said.

Compliance issues

International markets, particularly in the EU, increasingly require detailed information on the source and production history of agricultural products. Serem regrets that in the past, when export consignments were intercepted due to compliance issues, it was often difficult to identify the exact farm of origin.

“With this system, we will now be able to trace produce back to specific farms and take targeted corrective action whenever challenges arise,” assures Serem.

The move will also help the government respond more effectively to disease outbreaks, identify farms that require intervention, and better understand the distribution of horticultural production across the country.

EU remains a key market for Kenya’s horticultural products. By addressing traceability and compliance requirements, stakeholders expect to increase exports and strengthen confidence in Kenyan produce globally.

Christine Chesaro, Director of the Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD), says some exporters have in the past exported volumes that exceeded the production capacity of their registered farms, raising concerns about the origin and compliance status of the additional produce.

“The situation we had before was that an exporter would map out a certified farm capable of producing 10 tonnes of vegetables, but their final export returns would show they shipped 20 tonnes,” she says.

Chesaro says they bought extra tonnes from informal markets where there was limited information on production practices and chemical use.

This also points to produce theft as a serious concern, particularly in the avocado sector. Some growers have been forced to uproot their avocado trees because thieves wait until the fruit is nearly ready for harvest before stealing it, often at night.

In some areas, thieves are in such a hurry that they damage or even destroy the trees during harvesting. This results in future losses for farmers. Under the new system, she explains, farms will be digitally mapped and registered using geolocation technology. Export volumes will then be compared against the estimated production capacity of registered farms, helping authorities identify inconsistencies in supply records.

AFA Acting Director-General Calistus Kundu is optimistic that the system, which has been in development for more than ten years, will be a game changer for Kenya’s export industry, particularly in premium international markets where traceability is increasingly becoming a requirement.

Crop varieties

The platform is designed to track crops throughout the entire value chain, from planting to the final market destination.

“When farmers register their farms, they record crop varieties, planting dates, farming activities such as spraying, fertilisation, irrigation, harvesting and movement of produce through the supply chain,” he says.

The system will also record who handled the produce at each stage, from the farm to the packhouse and ultimately to the market.

This approach will provide full visibility across the supply chain and ensure accountability at every stage of production and marketing.

He says the government plans to expand the system to all crops regulated by AFA, including cereals, nuts, coconuts, and other scheduled crops. The system is designed to be user-friendly and includes a mobile application that farmers can access from their farms or homes.

The traceability platform will also serve as a digital system for processing import and export permits, significantly improving efficiency and reducing processing times.

In addition, the system is expected to promote the proper use of registered chemicals and fertilisers, improving food safety and reducing risks associated with inappropriate agricultural inputs.