Kenya’s earnings from the export of fresh vegetables fell from KSh 51 billion in 2023 to KSh 23.4 billion in 2024, primarily due to growing concerns about the pesticide levels in the fresh produce.
- •In 2023, Kenya exported 164,000 tonnes of fresh vegetables with value of Ksh51 billion, the tonnage dropped in 2024 to 74,000, almost the same level (75,000 tones) witnessed in 2022 with almost the same value of Ksh23billion.
- •The drop is widely linked to Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) interceptions with the EU, for example, issuing notifications on Kenyan beans and peas in pods due to concerns about pesticide residue levels exceeding MRLs.
- •The daily intake of food contaminated with pesticide residues poses serious health risks, especially since some pesticides have been linked to negative impacts on human health.
With an estimated 77% of farmers in Kenya relying on chemical pest control, pesticide residue analysis plays a critical role in ensuring that agricultural products comply with both national and international food safety standards, specifically in regards to pesticide residue levels.
In March 2019, KEPHIS was appointed as the Agent and Public Analyst of the Public Health Department under the Ministry of Health. In this role, KEPHIS is responsible for the analysis, certification, and enforcement of pesticide residue standards for fresh produce sold in the Kenyan market.
Fresh Vegetables are categorised under fresh horticulture which also include cut flowers and fruits.
The volume of exported fresh horticultural products declined from 468.4 thousand tonnes in 2023 to 402.2 thousand tonnes in 2024, recording a 14.1% decrease. Over the review period, the total export value decreased from KSh 156.7 billion in 2023 to KSh 136.6 billion in 2024, representing a 12.8% decline. This was partly attributed to the cargo export restrictions at JKIA. Consequently, there was increased demand for air cargo space, particularly for fruit exporters, leading to higher air freight costs.
Earnings from exports of cut flowers declined marginally from KSh 73.5 billion in 2023 to KSh 72.1 billion in 2024 as a result of European Union (EU) enforcement of regulations on False Codling Moth (FCM) that led to higher rejections and interception rates.
However, fruit earnings increased from KSh 32.4 billion in 2023 to KSh 41.0 billion in 2024, reflecting a 26.5%increase.
