Kenya’s fresh vegetable exports plunged by over 50% in 2024 following the European Union’s enforcement of tougher regulations on pesticide residue, according to the latest Economic Survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
The volume of vegetables exported fell from 164,100 tonnes in 2023 to just 74,300 tonnes in 2024 — a 54.7% decline — with export earnings dropping from KSh 50.9 billion to KSh 23.4 billion (roughly USD 340 million to USD 156 million). This comes amid a broader decline in horticultural exports, attributed to increasingly restrictive European market standards and logistical challenges at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The European Union has flagged repeated cases of Maximum Residue Level (MRL) violations in Kenyan beans and peas, prompting higher interception rates and rejections of consignments. Exporters say this has particularly affected smallholder farmers who struggle to transition to compliant farming practices.
In the floriculture sector, earnings from Kenya’s globally renowned cut flowers also continued to fall, sliding to KSh 72.1 billion in 2024 from KSh 73.5 billion in 2023. The drop is linked to EU regulations on False Codling Moth (FCM), a pest native to sub-Saharan Africa. EU authorities have ramped up inspection regimes, leading to increased interceptions of rose consignments.
The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) reported that sampling rates for roses have increased fivefold since 2020, pushing exporters to adopt a Rose False Codling Moth System Approach — a comprehensive pest management strategy designed to meet EU zero-tolerance requirements.
Despite the slump in vegetable and flower exports, Kenya’s fruit exports posted a strong performance. Volumes rose from 188,100 to 225,400 tonnes, earning KSh 41 billion, up from KSh 32.4 billion in 2023 — a 26.5% increase.
Still, the overall value of horticultural exports dropped by KSh 20.1 billion in 2024, settling at KSh 136.6 billion. Stakeholders cite not only EU rules but also limited air cargo space and rising freight costs as key challenges affecting the competitiveness of Kenya’s fresh produce exports.
As the EU prepares to implement Regulation 2024/2004 in April 2025 — mandating even stricter compliance on pest control for flowers — exporters are racing to adapt or risk losing access to their largest overseas market.