After holding a crisis meeting and heated talks, Kenya has lifted the ban on imports of Tanzanian and Ugandan maize under strict conditions for exporters.
Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday that all stakeholders dealing in maize imports would be required to register, accompany incoming consignments with a certificate of conformity on aflatoxin levels and that traders must list out details of their warehouses.
The certificate of conformity should indicate that the aflatoxin levels are less than 10 parts per billion.
Kenya’s Agriculture Chief Administrative Secretary Lawrence Angolo stated that the move is aimed at addressing the safety of consumers. He added that the details on warehouse would help in ensuring that the maize supplied to Kenya adhered to all standard procedure on food handling and safety and that it was not dried on tarmacs.
Angolo further stated that regional countries should accelerate the ratification of EAC- SGS standards on aflatoxin and submit the instruments of certification to the EAC.
“While we strive to give Kenya safe food by addressing the challenge in productions system, we equally expect our trading partners to trade safe maize as per the East African community standards,” he said.
Kenya last week banned maize imports from Uganda citing high levels of aflatoxin in the grain, setting stage for trade dispute between the two neighbouring states.
Read also: https://newscentral.africa/ugandan-government-meets-on-kenya-maize-ban-mps-kick/
Millers this week faulted the government’s decision to ban maize imports from the two countries, arguing that the State should have only intercepted maize with high level aflatoxin and allow the ones that meet the set grain importation procedures.