On August 24, 2018, the EU has lifted the five-year ban imposed on Kenyan pea farmers. According to managing director Esther Kimani from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis), the EU commission recognised the determination farmers had in adhering to the EU standards. “Farmers were able to learn fast and adhered to the requirements, a thing that made the EU dro its checking percentage levels from 10 to 5 percent,” she stated.

In 2013, pea farmers were not adhering to the EU requirements, exceeding maximum residue limits (MRLs) on produce. This was of course detected on entry of the EU markets. "This forced EU to slap a ban on the two crops (the sugar snaps and mange tout varieties) because of the failure by exporters to adhere to the 10 percent MRLs requirement," Kimani declared.

A committee chaired by Kephis and coordinated by the ministry of Agriculture managed to bring down the level of MRLs as well as sensitise farmers to the importance of using the right chemicals in the correct quantities.

According to data from Kephis, the country has exported 9,969,351 pods of beans and 2,375,932 for peas between January and July this year. The EU is Kenya’s main market for flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs, bringing in more than a Sh100 billion a year (€854 million) in foreign exchange.

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