Exporters of Kenya’s fresh produce to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) face the risk of being deregistered if they fail to comply with the latest demands to prove their produce is free from the Fall army worm.
Under the new restrictions, exporters must declare their produce free from the Fall Army Worm and this should be accompanied with a fumigation certificate indicating the treatment used to fight the pest which should be declared on the phytosanitary certificate. Post-harvest measures applied are also required to be clearly defined.
The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) has, however, set out to restore the confidence of the UAE markets by summoning 20 fresh produce exporters with established clients to a crisis meeting at the organisation’s headquarters for briefing of what is expected of them.
According to mediamaxnetwork.co.ke, Phytosanitary Services General Manager Isaac Macharia urged them to safeguard the Arab market by fully complying with its regulations and standards to avoid interceptions and rejections. He also warned against criminal activities such as acquiring fake documents and smuggling of illegal commodities.
