Posted on April, 16, 2021 at 09:56 am
The recent stoppage of unsafe maize was necessitated by continuous surveillance on the safety of food imports to Kenya, where test results for maize imported from Uganda and Tanzania revealed high levels of mycotoxins consistently beyond safety limits. Mycotoxins particularly aflatoxins and fumonisins are carcinogenic.
The Ministry further wishes to avert fear over alleged shortage of maize in the country. Projections up to the end of May 2021 indicate a surplus of 11,807,681 90kg bags, with the pric e of maize expected to remain stable. Currently, the wholesale maize price is averaging KES 2,600/= per 90 kg bag, with the highest prices of up to KES 4,392/= reported in Garissa county and the lowest prices of KES 1,980/= in Laikipia county.
Following the Government directive on stoppage of maize transfers from EAC partner countries, unscrupulous businessmen have tried to sneak in maize through non- gazetted border points. The law enforcement agencies have so far, napped 39 lorries ferrying maize from Uganda. 25 lorries are being held at Busia police station while 14 are at Adungosi, as the Ministry, through its Agriculture and Food Authority heightens surveillance along all border points. A stern warning has been issued against cilprits contravening the government directive, and traders found culpable will be arrested and charged in the Kenyan Court of Law.
The Government of Kenya has taken the following measures to facilitate safe trade of maize and other related food commodities across the EAC:
Commenced registration of all dealers of food crops including the transporters, importers and processors as per the requirements of section 16 of the Crops Act, 2013. All stakeholders are advised to log on to www.afa.imis.go.ke for requirements for registration. The applicants will be vetted and approval granted through issuance of a Registration Certificate;
Successful applicants shall be notified on the need to apply for pre shipment documents stating the source of produce, purpose and destination including the storage facility where the produce shall be offloaded.
The Government of Kenya has required its EAC Partner States to issue Certificates of Conformity (CoC) to all Kenya-bound consignments. These CoCs shall be issued by a Competent Authority from the exporting country processed through the KENTRADE single window system to be verified and approved by the crops inspectors. Additionally, random sampling shall be done at the border points with rapid testing to confirm that the grain is as per the conformity certificate issued by the exporting country.
The Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) and DCI are on high alert to deal with any corrupt officers and/or traders at border points who shall engage in corrupt practices in exchange for maize entry approval stamps without inspection and verification.
AFA is working in collaboration with the regulators and other Competent Authorities from the exporting countries to provide guidelines on how to meet the relevant EAC standards.
Notes to the Editor:
The Food crops sub-sector was hitherto unregulated since independence. This has led to many malpractices including unmonitored imports and cross-border trade leading to poor quality and unsafe crop produce and products.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the “SPS Agreement”) entered into force with the establishment of the World Trade Organization on 1 January 1995. It concerns the application of food safety and animal and plant health regulations. Read More
Pursuant to the provision of Chapter XVII of the treaty for the establishment of the East African Community, the provisions of the protocol on sanitary and phytosanitary measures adopted the [food safety] standards, guidelines and recommendations established by Codex Alimentarius Commission…in order to protect human or animal life within the territory of a Partner State from risks arising from biological, chemical and physical substances, including additives, contaminants, toxins or disease causing organisms.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture,Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives