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: 29 March 2019; Hits: 7663

Ugandan market opens up for Kenyan beef farmers

Kenyan farmers can now export their beef products to Uganda after President Yoweri Museveni lifted the ban on imports into the country following trade talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The ban was imposed in 1997 over safety concerns following the outbreak of mad cow and rinderpest diseases which have since been controlled.

According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics the total value of cattle and calves sold increased from Sh84.7bn in 2016 to Sh93.6bn in 2017. On the other hand the total value of sheep and goats marketed increased from 5.77bn to Sh6.78bn during the same period.

In this, the number cattle and calves slaughtered in abattoirs rose from 2.46m in the year 2016 to 2.59m in 2017. The country produced 724,000 metric tons of meat in 2017 out of which 589,000 metric tons were beef, poultry 106,000 metric tons and others accounted for 2,000 metric tons. 2,000 metric tons was exported.

During the same period under review, the survey reveals that the total number of sheep and goats slaughtered for meat consumption purposes increased to 9.21m from 8.22m recorded in the previous year.

In the same year Kenya exported 400 heads of cattle to the Middle East.

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beef export ethiopia

Beef

The Kenya Dairy Board statistics indicate that the country has a cattle population of 17.4m, sheep population of 17.1m and a goats’ population of 27.7m.

Uganda has a population of 11.4m cattle according to FAO. The country annually produces 185 709 metric tons of beef with the per capita consumption averaging about nine Kilos per year in a population of 42m people.

According to the Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute, the livestock sector contributes about 12 per cent to Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 40 per cent to the agricultural GDP and employs 50 per cent of agricultural labor force.

About 60 per cent of Kenya’s livestock herd is found in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), which constitute about 70 per cent of the country. It is estimated that 10m Kenyans living in the ASALs derive their livelihood largely from livestock.

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: 27 March 2019; Hits: 9792

Kephis introduces new requirements for avocado producers and exporters to South Africa

Packed avocado fruits for export. Photo: Oyugi Zablon.

Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), a government parastatal responsible for quality of agricultural inputs and produce has introduced new requirements to guide avocado farmers and traders interested to grow and export the fruit to the Republic of South Africa in a bid to guard the market.

Kenya lost the market in 2007 after South Africa claimed that most of the key fruit production areas in the country were infested with fruit fly. However, after intervention by to Kephis and Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) August last year the export market was reopened in ending more than 10 years of standoff.

It is because of this that the Kephis has introduced fresh regulations that will see the parastatal involved in almost every step of production and export to ensure that the country does not only lose the South African market but also other key global markets.

“We cannot afford to lose the market again due to poor production as a result of negligent by either farmers or traders as it happened before,” Said Mr. George Momanyi, Kephis.

“This is part of Kephis’ responsibility to prevent adverse impact on the economy, the environment and human health by ensuring up to standard produce.”

In the new requirements, first, avocado fruits for export to South Africa shall originate from production sites, pack houses and storage facilities approved and registered annually by Kephis.

Pests monitoring shall be conducted by Kephis regularly in the production sites destined for export to South Africa.

Fruit fly monitoring shall be initiated at least three months before harvesting or when the crop for South Africa starts to flower and this shall continue through the completion of harvest.

The owner of the production site will also be required to maintain the data and submit a copy to Kephis on quarterly basis and Kephis will regularly monitor to ensure the date is maintained.

Farmers are advised that culled and fallen fruits are supposed to be buried, destroyed or removed away from the production sites at least twice a week.

Concerning storage, the registered pack houses and storage facilities shall be maintained clean, free from pests, soil and plant debris, safeguarded and equipped to avoid fruit contamination.

Kephis shall also ensure that the pack houses have a defined traceability system to approve farms for export to South Africa by maintaining the integrity of lots.

In the new requirements, exporters are to apply for a South African import permit before export.

Finally, normal port of exit inspections to be undertaken by Kephis for every consignment before export.

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: 11 March 2019; Hits: 15982

Good news to fresh produce exporters as Air France announces more weekly flights to Kenya

asparagus jerseygiant humble vegetable Asparagus vegetable. France and the UK are the primary markets for fresh vegetable produce from the Kenya. Photo courtesy.

Kenyan fresh produce exporters are set to benefit increased export opportunities following French national carrier, Air France’s announcement that it will launch two additional weekly flights to Kenya's capital Nairobi from April as part of expansion into African network.

The announcement made on Friday last week which will come to effect 1 April will benefit French and Kenyan companies especially in horticulture, pharmaceuticals and other businesses that depend on air transport.

"We will be increasing our flights on the Paris-Nairobi route to five flights a week and we are confident that we will continue this growth in the coming years," said Arthur Dieffenthaler, Air France general manager for eastern Africa region.

"We will be increasing our flights on the Paris-Nairobi route to five flights a week and we are confident that we will continue this growth in the coming years," he added.

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The EU is Kenya’s principal market in horticultural export produce with the UK, Netherlands and France being the main markets with the UK and France being the primary markets for fresh vegetable produce from the country, according to AFA Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD).

In terms of proportions, Kenya exports the larger volumes of its cut flowers to the Netherlands, then the United Kingdom, Germany, and France respectively.

In 2016, the two countries (Kenya and France) signed Sh28.7bn (€250 million) deals covering infrastructure projects to entice French importers to work closely with Kenyan exporters to boost Kenyan exports to France.

"On trade, we were both gratified at the increase in trade between the two countries, but noted the growing gap in favour of France. I proposed that the gap could be addressed in part by Kenya exporting more value-added goods. We also agreed that France should seek to significantly increase imports of Kenya's renowned quality coffee, tea, cut flowers, fruits and vegetables," said President Kenyatta during a press conference with President Hollande when he visited the country for bilateral talks in 2016.

The deal was to eliminate hurdles that have prevented Kenyan products, mainly agricultural products, from accessing the French market, adding that it would also help bridge the balance of trade which is currently tilted in France's favour.

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