The government has been urged to make testing, inspection and certification of produce destined for the export markets affordable to farmers and exporters.
According to Ali Qazilbash from the United Nations Industrial Development Agency (UNIDO), this should be done by the implementing authorities namely KEBs and KEPHIS.
Qazilbash who spoke during the closing ceremony of the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade-MARKUP programme in Nairobi said the move will allow the products to enter high end markets.
He however, noted that enhancing safety standards of the products should start from good agricultural practice.
He insisted that good practice starts from the farmer, by ensuring they plant the correct seedlings for integrated pest management.
This, he said, involves ensuring proper use of pesticide or biological control of pesticides. It also extends to proper use of fertilizer and watering.
Qazilbash further noted that there are many types of good agricultural practices including the Global-Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), and each country can develop its own GAP.
“Each country can develop its own GAP that would be more affordable for farmers and help bring them on the right track to improve their farming techniques. Not only in terms of yields but also quality that would prove to be compliant for market requirement," Qazilbash said.
"This will enable them to export to or sell to the domestic market, regional and international or high end markets such as the EU, Far East Asia and North America.”
He added that consumers also need to be aware of the required standards so that they can trace the origin of the products they purchase.
As a consumer, when you buy a product from the market, you should know where it was farmed and when it was harvested, he said.
"If the competent authority goes and tests a product and finds that there is high aflatoxin level, through a traceability system, they should be able to know where the product has come from, what day it was harvested and by who.
"This will ensure collective action is made. The ultimate aim is to correct the mistake and reduce the risk. So risk management, risk assessment and risk communication is also part of the traceability system,” Qazilbash noted.
Stefano Sedola, the chief technical advisor of MARKUP programme said the project was started in 2019 and it has helped the country to increase competitiveness and market access in the horticulture sector.
The MARKUP programme was implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Agency (UNIDO) in East Africa, with funding from the European Commission in Kenya.
Sedola said the project sought to strengthen the institutional and regulatory framework for safety, as well as to capacity build farmers and exporters.
He said through the project, there has been an increase in revenue of over 5,000 producers and exporters.
The increase has been up to 60 per cent for the targeted farmers and an increase in market access for the exporters by up to 45 per cent.
“We have been able to improve productivity and increase revenues in the horticulture sector which has been dominated for years by low productivity levels and post-harvest losses. We have also increased competitiveness and we would like to scale up beyond the counties we worked with and at least reach hundred thousands of farmers. But to do this we need support from donors,” Sedola said.
Bernard Kiio, a mango farmer from Makueni county said he has been trained on good agricultural practices and pest management.
“Mangoes are our cash crop and we have been trained on pruning and on how to effectively use pesticides. With the training, I have been able to increase my yields from three tons to 11 tons in the last season,” Kiio said.
Adolfo Cires, programme manager, Finance and Private Sector Development EU delegation to Kenya said the program has supported Kenyan farmers to access the EU market.
“The markets are open and there are opportunities but there are specific certification and standards that must be met to be able to export to the European Union (EU),” he said.