Transport

Reprieve for food traders as State moves to reduce levies

banana

Banana traders at Kiritiri market in Embu. PHOTO | FILE

Farmers and agricultural produce traders stand to get a reprieve as the state moves to cut multiple levies that county governments currently impose as commodities move from farms to markets.

Under the proposed regulations to guide the implementation of the Crop Act 2013, transporters will only be required to pay levies to the county where the produce has been grown or processed.

At the moment, transporters have to pay levies to individual counties in whose territory the produce passes before it reaches the consumer or export terminal.

The raft of proposals by the Agriculture ministry will, however, introduce a number of must-have-licences to any handlers of crop produce.

According to the ministry, the licences are in the form of movement permits whose revenue shall be used to implement quality assurance and food safety standards.

Prison term

The draft regulations, if accepted by industry stakeholders and later gazetted by the Agriculture secretary, will see traders who violate them fined an amount not exceeding Sh300,000 or face not more than six years in prison, or both.

Under the regulations, persons attempting to move crop produce exceeding five tonnes must apply for movement permits from the county governments where they are based.

Also stipulated in the proposed regulations are the powers of county governments as well as the ministry to issue the movement permits to crop dealers.

The movement permits will be issued by the sub-county agricultural office, according to the proposals.

The measures also require crop dealers to get movement permits for the transportation of crop produce in order to ensure compliance with food safety standards.

According to the regulations, county governments will account to the Agriculture ministry through submission of monthly summary returns on the movement of food crops.

The vehicles used to transport agricultural produce are also required to adhere to the national food transportation standards.

Persons who are not registered crop dealers cannot be issued with a movement permit, state the regulations.

The Act also deals with the licensing of processors, warehouses and their operators, importers and exporters, repacking of fertilisers and the licensing of importers, manufacturers and distributors of fertilisers, and issuance of permits.