market

: 29 June 2018; Hits: 7171

State corporation proposes new regulations to protect potato farmers from market exploitations

potatoes irish

Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), a state cooperation which develop and promote scheduled crops value chains through effective regulation for economic growth has proposed new regulations meant to protect potato farmers from market exploitations by brokers and middlemen.

The new proposed regulations, Irish Potatoes Handling and Marketing Regulations will require the crop producers and dealers to pack Irish potatoes into a maximum weight of 50kg. This will save farmers who for so long have been forced to package their potatoes in 110kg bags for sale.

But Under the proposed new regulations, Irish potato producers and dealers will be required to pack Irish potatoes into a maximum weight of 50kg. This will come into effect on July 1^st when a fine of up to Sh20,000 will be applied on those found to have flouted the packaging regulations.

“A person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (5) (6) (7) and (9) commits an offence and shall be liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to a fine not exceeding Sh20,000, or both,” reads the regulations.

In these regulations all processors, importers and exporters shall register with AFA, which shall issue certificate of registration.

Under the laws, any person who contravenes the regulations commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding Sh50,000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months, or both.

Potatoes are grown by more than 800,000 farmers, majority who are smallholders and produce 83 per cent of the national harvest.

Potato production has dropped from 2.1 million tonnes in 2013 to 1.5 million tonnes last year. However, during the same period, the price per 1kg increased from Sh52 in 2013 to Sh81 last year, according to the 2018 Economic Survey.

The Ministry of Agriculture and AFA have kick-started a public participation on the proposed regulations and the public has been invited to give views on the regulations before a national stakeholders forum in Nairobi on July 4.

Write comment (0 Comments)

: 28 June 2018; Hits: 5783

Kenya's flowers, fruits and vegetables record a 40 per increase in sales in four months

Kenya’s horticulture earnings earned the country Sh56.23bn in the first four months of 2018 up from Sh40.57bn in a similar period last year according to the latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

In this, flower exports recorded a 40.41 per cent increase in sales to Sh42.59n up from Sh30.33n in 2017 while fruits and vegetables earned Sh4.98bn and 9.26bn respectively.

The Horticultural Directorate reports that the industry is the fastest growing sub sector in agriculture in Kenya and has been buoyed by compliance with export market requirements by the European Union, Kenya’s major destination of cut flowers accounting for 38 per cent of the total market share.

Why Kenyan flowers are doing well in the international markets despite the off-peak period

Nyandarua farmers growing popular flowers for export

Flowers Kenya marketing manager Ann Gitari

Magana Flowers Kenya marketing manager Ann Gitari and CEO Nicholas Ambanya during last year's flower expo in Nairobi.

Earlier this year, the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service trained over 65 fruit and vegetable exporters on international market requirements for food safety on exports to the European Union at a time when EU have dictated strict standards for products imported from other countries.

The EU has placed Kenya on the radar as one of the countries with 10 per cent increased Maximum Residual Levels (MRLs), which are the set legal levels of concentration of pesticide residues in or on food.

The trainees were urged to implement systemic food safety practices so as to comply before and during supply with both the local and export market requirements. They are also required to maintain quality, good hygiene and sanitation in the production, storage, processing and packaging of food as hazards such as biological, chemical and physical can be present.

In 2017, export earnings from cut flowers grew by 16.1 per cent to Sh82.2bn and accounted for 71.3 per cent of total earnings from horticulture mainly occasioned by a 19.7 per cent increase in export volumes. Exports values of fruits and vegetables increased by 23.3 per cent and 3.0 per cent, respectively in 2017.

Write comment (0 Comments)

: 27 June 2018; Hits: 5698

Processors to increase milk prices as cold season affect production

milk in a aupermarket

Milk processors are expected to raise consumer prices by next month following a decline in production resulting from a cold weather experience in most parts of the country at the moment.

According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, June-July –August weather outlook, most areas in the Central highlands, one of the milk producing region and Nairobi are expected to experience cool/cold and cloudy conditions with occasional light rains/drizzles. The day time temperatures are likely to be slightly cooler than average.

The cold weather has seen the New KCC increase producer price per litre from Sh37 to Sh40, which is likely to reflect on consumer cost in the coming days.

Kenya Dairy Producers Association chairperson Nixon Sigey, who is also New KCC managing director, says the cold season normally starts in July running to August. However, this year it started a month earlier and is expected to impact production in the next three months.

“There have been a decline in production as a result of cold weather and this will have an effect on both the consumer and producer prices,” he said.

Mr. Sigey said the low temperatures have affected production in major production regions of the Rift Valley and central Kenya that account for about 80 per cent of the milk output in the country.

“Producer prices have started going up and we will be reviewing the consumer price next month. “Currently we are still monitoring the trends,” he said. At the present, the producers said they are still meeting the consumer demand.

The New KCC boss said he expects production to normalise in September when the cold normally comes to an end, partly due to the fact that there is sufficient fodder.

The price of milk has remained low at an average of Sh50 for 500ml packet for the last one year after hitting a high of Sh60 per litre in April last year. The latter rise prompted the government to intervene by allowing processors to bring in duty-free powder milk to ease the shortage.

Brookside Dairies had increased producer prices to Sh37 in May. The dairy, which boasts 1.5 million litres milk processing capacity, sources milk from 300 dairy co-operatives drawn from more than 27 milk producing counties.

Write comment (0 Comments)