Digital traceability system to improve export trade

The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has commissioned the National Horticulture Traceability System, a digital platform designed to track agricultural produce from farm to market and improve Kenya’s compliance with international export standards.

AFA Board Chair Cornely Serem said the system will enable exporters and importers to verify the exact origin of horticultural produce, including farm location and production practices.

“We will know exactly where crops are coming from, the chemicals used, and how they were produced,” he said, noting that the system will help Kenya meet strict market requirements, especially in the European Union.

He added that the platform will help quickly identify the source of rejected exports and address challenges at the farm level, calling it a “game changer” for the sector.

AFA Acting Director General Calistus Kundu said the system provides end-to-end tracking from planting to harvest, capturing farm activities such as spraying, fertilization, irrigation, and grading.

“We will know who planted what, when it was harvested, and how it was handled,” she said, adding that the system has been in development for over a decade.

He explained that exporters will initially be required to register and map farms supplying their produce before the system is expanded to supermarkets and informal markets.

The platform also integrates geolocation mapping to verify farm size and expected yield and assist in curbing fraud and over-declaration of export volumes.

Officials said they will also speed up issuance of export permits, improve disease response, and strengthen food safety monitoring.

Christine Chesaro, director of the Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD), said export permits will be directly linked to verified farm data, improving accountability and reducing discrepancies between declared and actual production.

She noted that the system will flag irregularities in real time, preventing exports that exceed recorded farm output thus enhancing enforcement.

The rollout will begin with exporters before expanding to other market players, with training planned to support farmers and ensure smooth adoption.

The Chairman of the Avocado Aggregators Association of Kenya, Wanjohi Mukuria, welcomed the initiative but called for a phased rollout, warning that a sudden shift could disrupt farmers and exporters.

Avocado Exporters Association of Kenya CEO Joseph Wagurah welcomed the rollout, saying it will strengthen accountability and boost confidence in Kenya’s horticultural exports.

“The platform will allow full tracking of produce from farms to international markets, replacing fragmented company-level systems previously in use. Previously, each company had its own traceability system. Now it has been nationalized into a single system that traces fruits from the farm to the export market,” he said.

Wagurah noted that the system will improve response to export rejections in international markets, particularly those linked to maximum residue levels (MRLs), by enabling authorities to quickly identify the source of consignments.

“A centralized platform, supported by government, is expected to enhance trust among exporters and importers, ultimately improving acceptance of Kenyan produce abroad,” he noted.

Juliana Tele, the export manager at Karen Roses Ltd., expressed optimism, saying the system will improve efficiency, reduce costs, and eliminate paperwork through real-time digital processing.

She said it will also help track produce using barcodes from farm to export markets but urged the government to address rising cases of avocado theft affecting farmers.

Kenya’s horticulture sector earns about Sh1.7 billion annually and remains one of the country’s key foreign exchange earners.

In 2025, Kenya exported 457,860 tons of horticulture produce valued at Sh143.7 billion. The export commodities were flowers (55 percent), vegetables (15 percent), and fruits (30 percent) by value. The main export destinations are the European Union and the Middle East. Emerging markets include India, China, Eastern Europe, the Far East, Scandinavian countries, and North Africa.

By Wangari Ndirangu