Digital traceability boosts Kenyan horticulture exports

Kenya has unveiled a national digital traceability platform designed to enhance compliance with global food safety standards.
The system also aims to shield the lucrative horticulture export sector from expensive disruptions in key markets such as the European Union.
Developed by the Agriculture and Food Authority, the National Horticulture Traceability System will allow fresh goods to be monitored from farm to export destination.
Horticulture remains one of the country’s top earners of foreign exchange, accounting for roughly 34 percent of agricultural GDP. The AFA reports that horticultural exports brought in Sh143.7 billion in 2025.
During the unveiling, AFA Board Chairman Cornelly Serem noted that the platform would boost accountability and simplify pinpointing the origin of produce when shipments are halted due to pest problems or excess pesticide residue.
Serem added that whenever a shipment was stopped, finding the crop’s source was often impossible.
The absence of traceability has routinely implicated entire farmer groups because regulators are unable to trace non‑compliant produce. The new system should let authorities and exporters identify a product’s exact farm and production block.
Additionally, the platform addresses worries over goods coming from unregistered farms and informal trade.
Christine Chesaro, Director of the Horticultural Crops Directorate, warned that exporters sometimes shipped amounts beyond the capacity of their registered farms, raising doubts about the origin and compliance of the extra produce.
“Previously, an exporter might map a certified farm capable of producing ten tonnes of vegetables, yet ultimately export twenty tonnes,” Chesaro explained. “The surplus was sourced from informal markets with limited data on production and chemical use.”
The new system will map farms digitally and register them with geolocation tools. Export volumes will then be matched against the estimated output of registered farms, helping authorities spot mismatches in supply reports.
AFA Acting Director General Calistus Kundu said the platform records information at every step of production, from planting dates to pesticide applications, harvesting, and product movement along the chain.
“A farmer registers a plot by entering planting date, crop variety and field activities such as spraying, fertilisation, watering and harvesting,” Kundu remarked. “The system then tracks the produce from the field to the packhouse and onward to the market.”
Stakeholders welcomed the effort but cautioned that a phased rollout is necessary to allow farmers and exporters to adjust.
Wanjohi Mukuria, chair of the Avocado Aggregators Association of Kenya, affirmed support for traceability but warned that an abrupt launch could create difficulties for farmers and hamper trade.
Mukuria added that implementation should progress in stages; a swift introduction could generate obstacles.
He emphasized the need for comprehensive training across the value chain – farmers, exporters and marketing agents – to ensure everyone grasps their new obligations.
Mukuria also noted that while the platform could improve Kenya’s standing abroad, the requirement for land ownership and identification documents may prove tough for some farmers.
Juliana Tele, Export Manager at Karen Roses, said the system would strengthen accountability while tackling theft and cutting paperwork for exporters.
She explained that previously securing permits involved extensive documentation and cost; now exporters can complete procedures from their offices and obtain electronic approvals.
The paperless approach is expected to reduce operating costs and let overseas buyers trace products back to their farms via barcode technology. Tele also urged the government to enhance security to curb the rise in avocado theft near production zones.
The AFA plans to launch the system first in the export horticulture sector, then expand to domestic markets and later to other crops such as maize, wheat, beans, macadamia and coconuts.