Angola bans Kenya banana imports to contain disease

Both South Africa and Angola are members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the largest economic bloc in the continent that Kenya hopes to trade with freely once a free trade area being negotiated on tripartite basis between EAC, COMESA and SADC is concluded.

Available statistics (2007) indicate that Kenya exported goods worth Sh2.35 billion to South Africa against Sh35.36 billion imports from South Africa.

Kenya imports from South Africa an array of fruits that include apples, mangoes, oranges and pears that are common in the local retail outlets.

Trade ministry officials told the Business Daily that it is only a matter of time before the row with South Africa is concluded amicably.

Kari, Kephis and ICIPE have given the local avocadoes a clean bill of health.

Fruit flies

“We are just preparing to hold the last consultative meeting on tests to prove that our fruits have not been affected by fruit flies before South Africa lifts the ban by the end of this year,” said a source involved in the negotiations who cannot be quoted because he is not the ministry’s official spokesperson on trade negotiations.

Avocado is one of the emerging horticultural crops that fetches Kenya up to Sh2.2 billion annually from exports mainly destined for the European Union.

On an industrial scale, the crop is an important revenue earner for listed agricultural firm, Kakuzi Limited whose exports of Hass avocado variety accounts for an estimated 75 per cent of Kenya’s total avocado exports to Europe.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY REUTERS