Kenyan growers of bananas and broccoli have been advised to seize opportunities in the South Korean market, after a sales deal was struck by the two nations. Trade PS Johnson Weru said Korea in 2018 opened a window for imports of the two commodities from Kenya as part of a bilateral agreement between the two nations. However, he has concluded that the volume of exports of these two products [bananas and broccoli] is ‘dismally small’.
The PS said the two produce do not face strict restrictions as is the case with other fresh commodities meant for export, noting that this should be easy for farmers to export. “These two products do not require pest risk analysis, however, the products should be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from a competent authority in Kenya,” said Mr Weru.
The official urged counties to refer any interested party to Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) for the acquisition of these certificates. Kephis managing director Theophilus Mutui said the agency is ready to issue certificates once the interested party approaches them for that.
