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This report provides updates on Government of Kenya (GOK) import requirements and regulations for food and agricultural products. It includes applicable laws and guidelines, import procedures, and contact details of key trade regulatory and specialist agencies.

Kenya’s strategic geographical location and growing middle class makes it an economic, financial, and transport hub for East and Central Africa. Agriculture remains the main contributor to the economy with approximately 75 percent of the 54.7 million population working fully or partially in the agriculture sector. However, high fertilizer prices, small rain-fed fields, and low productivity are obstacles to increasing domestic supply while Kenya’s growing population, increasing urbanization, and growing incomes will spark higher demand for imported food.

On June 14, 2022, a new biosecurity law was signed into effect, repealing the 2009 biosecurity law and establishing a process to allow the entry, research, and commercialization of genetically engineered (GE) products in Senegal. The functionality of the law will depend on the approval of 18 implementing decrees. A process has begun to consolidate the decrees to expedite their ratification.

The South African retail food sector is well-developed and continues to expand into other African countries. In 2021, South African retail food sales totaled $40 billion, a 0.2 percent increase from 2020 as the South African economy began to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On June 10, 2022, the Government of Kenya issued additional tariff exemptions for new feed ingredients to address rising feed costs. Duty exemptions were granted for genetically engineered Bt. cottonseed cake, distillers’ dried grains with solubles...

Nigeria continues to strive for self-sufficiency in oil palm production. Currently, production remains stable. Meanwhile, demand for palm oil outweighs supply. Nigeria meets the supply gap in oil palm through imports from Malaysia, China, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Zimbabwe’s corn crop for marketing year (MY) 2022/23 is estimated at 1.6 million metric tons (MMT), representing a drop of 43 percent from the bumper crop of 2.7 MMT produced in MY 2021/22. Many factors contributed to the drop in production including sub-optimal weather conditions, high input costs and macro-economic challenges.

South Africa is set for record citrus exports of 2.7 million tons in marketing year 2021/22 despite ongoing challenges. Favorable weather conditions, new areas under production, and higher demand in premium markets, such as the United States, are driving the growth in exports.

The United States exports bone-in chicken meat to South Africa under a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) arrangement, which was set at 71,290 tons to be imported quarterly for the April 2021 - March 2022 quota year. The US bone-in chicken quota for the year 2021/2022 was filled at 84 percent, a 10 percent drop from the previous quota year.

MY 2022/23 coffee production is expected to decrease 4 percent to 1.15 million bags due to high fertilizer prices and dry conditions at the beginning of the marketing year. Post forecasts MY 2022/23 exports will decline 4 percent to 1.05 million bags due to lower exportable supplies.

Having pegged its nationally acceptable limit of aflatoxin in peanut at 10 parts per billion (ppb) as far back as 2018, Ghana could well be leading, and not just supporting the regional block’s preference of setting the MRL for aflatoxin in peanut at 10 ppb.

On May 5, 2022, trade and finance ministers from East African Community (EAC) member countries agreed to raise minimum common external tariffs from 25 to 35 percent on several agricultural products.