George Kebaso @Morarake

Kenya is set to resume export of mangoes to key markets in Europe and the US starting July 2021 after a six-year self ban expires.

The self imposed ban has enabled the country review her phytosanitary measures during the production.

The move is good news to thousands of farmers who rely on the fruit for income with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) saying measures put in place have addressed all issues that led to the 2014 ban, calling them satisfactory.

The ban on the fruit’s exports was as a result of high levels of fruit flies that saw Kenyan consignments intercepted on several occasions, hence the pre-emptive freeze before the actual ban

Further, Kephis Phytosanitary Services General Manager Dr Isaac Macharia said the agency is also fast tracking the completion of the Plant Protection Bill 2020 which seeks to repeal an Act established in 1937, and only reviewed in 1972.

“We are certain that after we have a new law to manage plant health, besides the establishment of pest-free areas in Elgeyo Marakwet and Makueni that would act as export zones, we will be able to control the destructive fruit flies,” he said at Kephis headquarters after the unveiling of the agency’s new Managing Director, Prof. Theophilus Mutui last week.

“We have been addressing the issue and so far we are in the process of controlling fruit flies at these pest-free zones, and tentatively by July next year when a new mango season peaks we should be able to start exporting,” he said.