The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) promotes and supports continuous inclusive and sustainable development of the horticulture industry. This report is an update to the 2016 report, providing businesses in the Netherlands and Kenya with a reliable overview of possibilities for sustainable and responsible sourcing of fruits and vegetables from Kenya and provides specific advice and a checklist for traders/investors and farmers on regulations, required permits and certifications. It is recommended that this report is jointly read with the sister report focusing on the European demand side.

It is worth noting that the horticulture sector is a critical sector in Kenya’s economy both in terms of sector growth, proportion of national exports, and contribution to the economy, hence a strategic sector for engagement. For example, Kenya exports amounted to US$6.25B in 2019 and while total volume of trade declined between 2019 and 2020, total export earnings increased by 7.9% mainly due to increases in the value of domestic exports of tea, horticulture, coffee, titanium ores and concentrates.

The most common destination for the exports were Uganda (US$619M), United States (US$546M), Netherlands (US$487M), Pakistan (US$440M), and United Kingdom (US$387M). Noteworthy is that the value of exports to the United Kingdom which rose by 24.4% due to increased exports of tea, vegetables and cut flowers. The prominence of horticulture in these numbers has implications to foreign investors, local producers, international retailers and local policy makers.

For more, download the complete (Horticulture Scoping Study for Kenya) report.