Kakuzi Plc, a listed Kenyan Agricultural Company trading on both the Nairobi and London Stock Exchange, has secured approval from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service
(KEPHIS), to process and prepare export-grade fresh avocados for the Chinese
market.
Kakuzi is also engaged in the cultivation, processing and marketing of avocados, blueberries, macadamia, tea, livestock and commercial forestry.
The listed firm becomes one of the first local entities to obtain such approval from KEPHIS following a stringent phytosanitary audit for its extensive Kakuzi farms and Packhouse.
This approval follows the recent signing of two bilateral trade protocols to facilitate the export of fresh avocados and aquatic products from Kenya to China.
As part of implementing the protocols, KEPHIS has been undertaking facility audits to ensure the integrity of local packhouses earmarked to provide packaging solutions for avocado exports.
Kakuzi Plc Managing Director Chris Flowers said the Kakuzi fresh produce Packhouse and
Orchards near Makuyu town had been inspected and found to be compliant with the
high international standards.
“We recently were subjected to a series of random and procedural inspections by KEPHIS, and I am glad to announce that the Kakuzi’s orchards and Packhouse are among the first approved large scale farming and packing operations, cleared for the
Chinese market,” said Flowers.
He added that at the Makuyu facility and Orchards, Kakuzi maintains world-class phytosanitary standards for its exports to Europe, and the KEPHIS approval further serves to underscore quality commitments.
Kenya and China signed bilateral agreements allowing the export of avocado products
during an official local visit by the Chinese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi.
Last year, Kakuzi received an unconditional renewal on a crucial globally recognized
agricultural food quality certification.
As part of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) listed firm’s quality management assurance endeavours, Kakuzi received the GLOBALG.A.P. version 5.2 certificate following a recent production and processing procedures audit.
GLOBALG.A.P. is a private-sector body that sets voluntary standards (based on Good
Agricultural Practices) for certifying agrarian products around the globe.
The GLOBALG.A.P. certification, a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked
standard, allows Kakuzi PLC to produce Avocados to access the European market
with a recognized mark of quality issued by NSF Certification Ltd, a UK based
certification body.
“At Kakuzi PLC, we have invested more than KSh 200 Million in the last one year to
guarantee quality production and environmental management practices leading to
such certifications as the GLOBALG.A.P” said Flowers.
Alongside the GLOBALG.A.P. certification, Kakuzi PLC has secured several local and international operating accreditations’ including the Kenya Bureau of Standards
(KeBS) Diamond Mark of Quality and the FSSC 22000 Food Safety Management
systems certifying that quality Kakuzi food products are produced with a minimal
detrimental impact to the environment and that the firm takes a responsible approach
to workplace health & safety and animal welfare.
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