Kenya and Tanzania have resolved a long-running dispute on the export of poultry and poultry products from Kenya to Tanzania.
- Kenya has historically been a significant exporter of poultry and poultry-related products to Tanzania, including Day-Old Chicks (DOC), hatching eggs, parent stock and processed poultry items.
- In 2021, Tanzania banned poultry imports from Kenya due to the global outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
- This ban severely impacted Kenya’s poultry industry, hindering access to a vital market.
In a meeting convened this week, Tanzania clarified that it had not imposed a ban on Kenyan poultry and poultry products but had implemented sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures (requirements) in response to the global Avian Influenza outbreaks as per the World Organization for Animal Health disease notification reports.
The two countries committed to enhance surveillance efforts and capacity-building initiatives to ensure timely disease detection and reporting Small-scale poultry producers in both countries will receive support to improve biosecurity measures in an effort to enhance their export opportunities. Veterinary authorities will also strengthen collaboration for swift issue resolution regarding SPS measures.
Co-Chair of the meeting, Rabson Wanjala (Kenya), emphasised the critical importance of trade between the two countries, highlighting the necessity for ongoing consultations to streamline and facilitate trade processes. Wanjala said that both countries had committed to fostering trade relations, adding that the commitments made underscore the importance of collaborative efforts to ensure increased trade in the region.
“We remain committed to tackling these challenges and fostering an environment conducive to seamless trade between Kenya and Tanzania,” Benezeth Lutege Malinda, the Co-Chair of the meeting from Tanzania, said.
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