- Kenyan chilli exporters have gained a new international market as trade opportunities expand.
- Strict registration, food safety and pest control rules will govern access to China.
- Farmers and processors are being urged to strengthen compliance to benefit from the export opportunity.
Kenyan chilli farmers and exporters have secured access to the Chinese market following approval for the export of dried chilli peppers, opening new opportunities for agricultural trade and increased earnings.
The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) announced the development in a public notice, urging farmers, processors, packers, exporters and other agricultural stakeholders to prepare to meet China’s strict plant health, food safety, packaging and quality standards.
The new market access offers Kenyan producers an opportunity to diversify their export destinations and expand trade in dried chillies, although exporters must meet all prescribed requirements before their consignments can enter China.
Under the new guidelines, export processing and packing facilities must be registered with China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) through KEPHIS. The facilities will first undergo inspection and approval by KEPHIS before registration.
Farmers, production sites, drying facilities and packhouses must also be registered with the inspectorate and comply with the applicable export certification requirements.
KEPHIS requires exporters to obtain a phytosanitary certificate for every consignment destined for China to confirm compliance with the prescribed plant health standards.
Producers must also establish traceability systems, adopt Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) measures, and maintain pest monitoring records for at least two years.
Food safety compliance will be a key condition for accessing the market. Exporters must observe pesticide maximum residue limits, ensure aflatoxin B1 levels do not exceed permitted limits and comply with prescribed heavy metal limits.
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The notice further stipulates zero tolerance for Sudan dyes, requires consignments to meet applicable microbiological standards, including the absence of Salmonella, and sets a maximum moisture content of 13 per cent.
Exporters must also meet prescribed packaging and labelling requirements and use clean, appropriate packaging materials to maintain the quality and safety of the dried chillies during handling and transportation.
In addition, all consignments must be free from quarantine pests identified by Chinese authorities. The listed organisms include Acanthoscelides obtectus (common bean bruchid), Callosobruchus maculatus (cowpea weevil) and Trogoderma granarium (khapra beetle).
Other pests and pathogens of concern include Pospiviroid fusituberis (potato spindle tuber viroid), Tomabovirus fructirugosum (tomato brown rugose fruit virus), Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (associated with zebra chip disease), Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (bacterial canker of tomato), Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (bacterial speck pathogen) and Orobanche species (broomrapes).
The requirements place emphasis on controlling pests and diseases, maintaining proper handling practices and ensuring that Kenyan produce meets the standards required in the Chinese market.
The opening presents an opportunity for farmers, processors, aggregators and exporters to strengthen production and processing systems to serve international markets. However, stakeholders will need to comply with the registration, inspection, certification and quality-control procedures to benefit from the new trade opportunity.
KEPHIS has encouraged interested farmers, exporters, processors, aggregators and industry associations to contact the inspectorate for further guidance on registration, inspections, certification and export compliance.
By Lizzy Aluga
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