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Kenya Problems in the horticulture industry |
ECONOMY
Kenya’s horticulture industry has developed so rapidly in the last two decades, that today it ranks fourth — behind tea, coffee and tourism — as the country’s main foreign exchange earner, accounting for just over 13% of total exports
In 1997, Kenya exported 84,143 metric tonnes of fresh horticultural produce. In terms of the total arable land occupied, horticulture too, ranks high, taking up 11.2% which places it fourth after dairy products, maize and beans. This compares with 2.9% and 1.7% for coffee and tea, respectively.
But one major constraint that has stood in the way of the sub-sector’s growth, is the constantly changing legislation on Maximum Pesticide Residue Levels (MRL)s in the country’s biggest market — the European Union (EU). MRL refers to the maximum acceptable concentrations of pesticides in and on food products. The use of MRLs is a long, complex, expensive and involved procedure which includes determining the acceptable daily intakes of pesticides and pesticide residue.
In Europe, this legislation has continually changed at both the national and EU level, placing exporting countries in the developing world at a great disadvantage. In Kenya, where the smallholder growers account for more than 70% of crops exported, compliance with the legislation is even more difficult. And now, with the implementation this July, of new MRLs by the EU, things appear set to get tougher, to the extent that some are even voicing concern over the possibility of massive income losses and layoffs.
The EU‘s new regulations are the result of a long-running and sustained campaign in Europe, to put in place stiffer legislation to control the use of chemicals and pesticides on crops. The EU began to harmonise MRLs for each crop-pesticide combination, way back in 1994. The concerned parties were asked to submit data on pesticide use. Until now, each EU member country has had its own standards on pesticide residues, but now the new regulations will supersede these. Henceforth, produce exported to Europe will be subjected to random checks and analysis for pesticide residue.
«It is critical that smallholder growers are educated on the demands for minimal amounts of chemicals, if we are to avoid rejections of whole consignments in future,» says Mr Junghae Wainaina, chairman of the Agrochemical Association of Kenya (AAK). Wainaina believes that if a strategy is not put in place quickly to update producers and exporters with the new legislation, the implementation of the new MRL levels could threaten Kenya’s lucrative horticultural sub-sector. His views are echoed by the chairman of the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK), Mr Simon Ethangatta, who has already applied for a Sh120-million grant from the EU to train small-scale farmers on good, approved pesticide regimes. The Ministry of Agriculture together with AAK has also set up an interdepartmental committee on training, which will conduct training sessions for smallholder farmers to sensitise them on the recent developments.
Increased competition
However, for greater and more equitable returns and growth in the sector, there will be need to go beyond merely sensitising the smallholder farmers. This is because, besides the new, stringent residue level regulations, the global market situation too, has changed rapidly, with vigorous competition to Kenyan horticultural products coming from countries like Morocco, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, South Africa, Israel and India. Many of these are increasingly offering the same or superior quality produce — especially fruit and vegetables — often at relatively lower prices.
The expanded European structure has also created domestic suppliers within the EU, such as those in the Mediterranean region who supply tropical and subtropical fruits and vegetables that now compete with Kenyan imports.
In order to survive, Kenya needs to develop short-term programmes and policies, to reduce production costs and enhance price competitiveness in the market, while ensuring a supply of consistently high-quality produce. In the medium term, programmes and policies to improve productivity at the farm level and to develop aggressive marketing strategies in order to capture new and growing markets and niches, are required.
Stakeholders too, need to combine forces to ensure safe and responsible use of pesticides. This would mean applying only those pesticides approved by the Pest Control Products Board, combating piracy and adulteration, good record keeping and the strict observation of Pre-Harvest Intervals (PHI) when applying the pesticides. This is a significant factor in residue occurrence, because the application of pesticides closer to harvesting than the pre-harvest interval specified, almost always, inevitably result in residue on the produce.
At the institutional level, random pre-shipment sampling to determine the presence of unwanted residue and the detection of residue before airfreighting, will help save costs. Kenyan exporters should also endeavour to seek new markets and niches such as the growing Middle East market for fresh fruits, vegetables and processed products.
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