Kenya Lifts Tanzania Flower Ban

Dar es Salaam — Kenya has lifted a ban on Tanzanian cut flower exports which transit through Nairobi for markets destined abroad.
The ban caused Tanzanian growers to lose key customers. It came into effect last May after Kenyan authorities worried about possible pest infestation originating from Tanzania.
“As a result of the ban, the Tanzania flower farmers had lost more than five clients of cut roses in UK, Australia, Japan, Russia and Italy,” TAHA’s Policy and Advocacy Manager, Anthony Chamanga said.
Chamanga said these countries were among the key customers of Tanzania cut flowers, but are willing to buy flowers only through arrangements of exportation whereby, Tanzania flower consignments are consolidated with others from Kenya. “In consequence of losing these customers, the Tanzania farms were compelled to look for other markets, which are however not reliable and give relatively lower prices,” he said.

The Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) announced last week that the two governments had finally reached a deal to lift the ban after several rounds of negotiations. TAHA has also been putting pressure on the respective authorities to reach a compromise. A Memorandum of Understanding to end the standoff has now been signed.

The ban was imposed by Kenya in May, 2011 to protect the country’s flower industry from possible imported pests which might contaminate their local varieties. Kenyan authorities had some doubts about Tanzanian roses being infected and this also caused the European Union to raise concerns.
The agreement was signed between the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS) and Tanzania’s Plant Health Services Section (MAPHSS), which is overseen by the agriculture ministry
According to a TAHA statement issued in Dar es Salaam last week, there are about 11 pests which are officially controlled for the purposes of the signed MoU.
The Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) has been completed and KEPHIS has concluded that, the importation of cut flowers from Tanzania may be permitted provided that Tanzania meets the requirements provided in the MoU aiming at minimizing pest risks.

The signing of the agreement therefore marks the conclusion of implementation of resolutions of the bilateral meeting between Tanzania and Kenya which was held in Nairobi, on September, 2012.
Chamanga thanked the Tanzanian government for taking up the issue. TAHA specifically thank the Ministry of East African Cooperation for coordinating the consultative meetings and the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Cooperatives for working on and signing the MoU, he said.

He said the association will continue to work with the government in identifying key challenges affecting trade and investment in horticulture..
“Our vision remains to create a conducive environment for the horticultural private sector practitioners to smoothly operate and contribute to poverty reduction and national economy,” he insisted.
Source: East African Business Week (Kampala)