Kenya is set to resume mango export to the European Union after receiving a green light during Belgium visit by a delegation of government regulatory agencies and private sector in the horticulture industry at Brussels.
The team met and discussed with counterparts from the EU and the private sector equivalents on possible resumption of mango export to the European Union after a self-ban of seven years. The Kenyan Embassy in Brussels said resumption of exports of mangos to EU is expected to start during the November– March 2022 season.
“It is envisaged that the engagement with the regulator and industry actors of the EU will ensure that the Kenya mangos that are currently in season are absorbed by the EU market shelves. Surveys are underway to identify other areas where similar hot water treatment initiatives will be installed,” said the Embassy in a statement.
Stringent requirement
The Kenya Embassy in Brussels, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services, Horticulture Crops Directorate under the Agriculture and Food Authority and Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya met with the EU’s Directorate General for Health and Food Safety.
Benjamin Tito, director of the Horticulture Crops Directorate under the Agriculture and Food Authority, explained that the self-ban was imposed because in 2013 and early 2014, Kenya had a big problem of the mango fruit fly and the mango weevil. They are classified as quarantine pests in EU.
“Arising from that, we felt that we were not able to meet the stringent requirement which calls for any consignment being exported to the EU, to be free of the quarantine pests. As a sector, we felt at that time we were not able to meet that requirement, leading to the self-ban. It was not imposed to us we did it ourselves,” he said.
