Additional approval for export of fresh mango fruits to the EU

Kiambu

Wednesday August 2, 2023

KNA by Wangari Ndirangu

Kenya has secured additional approval to export temperature-treated mango fruits to the European Union (EU).

The notification for the approval to use vapour heat treatment (VHT) for fresh mango fruit from Kenya was published by the EU in June 2023. This is in addition to the 2021 approval to use the hot water treatment approach.

A press statement by Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS) Managing Director Prof. Theophilus Mutui indicated that now exporters have the leeway to export fresh mango fruits either treated using vapour heat or hot water.

In addition to the temperature treatment, Mutui advised exporters to adhere to the Kenya mango certification protocol to ensure that the fruits meet both phytosanitary and quality standards for the EU market

“KEPHIS has approved one temperature treatment facility for treatment of mango to the EU and Jordan Market. The institution is in the process of approving more facilities to support the mango export business,” Prof, Mutui said in the statement.

Additionally, KEPHIS is supporting farmers, exporters and other stakeholders to produce export-quality mango through establishment and approval of pest-free zones (areas of low pest prevalence), and capacity building on mango export market requirements in different mango production zones.

Kenya in 2021 November resumed the multi-billion lucrative European Mango market after an eight-year break following an attack of mangoes by quarantine pest –fruit flies.

Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA)–Horticulture Crops Directorate (HCD) had then said that the resumption of the EU market was informed by the drastic reduction of fruit flies’ infestation in the leading mango growing counties.

Last year in July, the government launched a hot water treatment facility for horticultural crops at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

During the ground breaking ceremony, the then Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya had said the country needs to move with speed to quickly tap into the great fortunes of the horticulture industry in order to improve social economic welfare for communities.

“This hot water treatment facility will revitalize and expand the horticulture export business by improving market access therefore cementing Kenya’s position as a leading exporter of fresh horticulture produce to the global market”, Munya had said.

Mango is the second most common fruit produced in Kenya after banana and is grown on 49, 098 hectares producing 69,800 tonnes valued at Sh10.5 billion in 2019. Makueni County is leading in production with a total of 4.3 million mango trees grown by over 100,000 farmers producing more than 184, 000 metric tonnes followed by Kitui and Machakos counties respectively.

Courtesy ; K. N. A