Kenya through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has declared a zero tolerance to False Codling Moth (FCM) committing to ensure 100% compliance with the European Union (EU) regulations and avert flowers export description to the export market.
This follows reports indicating that in 2024, there were 95 rejections of Kenyan export consignments and 48 interceptions (2.1 million stems), due to FCM with an estimated value of 1.05 million Euro.
This was in an effort that started in 2017 by EU, which is a leading importer of Kenya horticultural produce to regulate FCM, an endemic in Sub-Saharan Africa and which is recorded as widely distributed in Kenya, mainly affecting flowers and a wide range of host crops including citrus, avocado, and vegetables.
In 2023, the EU commissioned a study by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which indicated that fresh cut roses pose a risk of introducing FCM to EU.
Additionally, in July 2024, the EU enacted a new regulation (regulation 2004/2024) introducing more stringent measures for export of fresh cut roses to the EU. The regulation which shall be effected in Kenya on 26th April 2025, requires significant changes in production and supply of roses.
Although flowers had the highest export value in 2024, with the country exporting 102,475.80 tonnes worth Ksh72.1 billion, accounting for 53% of total export earnings, the ministry now warns that failure to fully meet the new requirements could significantly disrupt flower exports to the EU.
As a result, Kenya has chosen to implement the Systems approach which includes one of the four options given by the EU and already the ministry has;
- Developed and submitted FCM System Approach Protocol to EU.
- Submitted to EU evidence of efficacy of the systems approach being used for FCM management at the production sites.
- Submitted the list of 134 approved production sites to EU. For traceability in the event of any conformity, a code has been issued to each of the farms.
Further, the following interventions are ongoing through the country’s Competent Authorities such as Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) and the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA):
- Implementing the FCM Systems Approach method to ensure compliance with the EU regulations.
- Submitted the FCM Systems Approach Protocol to EU as Kenya’s description of adopted measures to assure compliance for Kenya produce being exported to EU.
- Training actors in the floriculture sub-sector to align with the new regulation. Already 475 agro attendants have been trained and over 849 staff.
- Registering pest control products by PCPB for management of the pest.
“With all this in place I would like to ensure the EU that our compliance will be at 100% and our produce will meet the highest quality standards, ensuring that no FCM is ever detected in our flowers again,” said Sen. Mutahi Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary, Agriculture & Livestock Development.
