Kenya’s once-booming vegetable export sector has faced a sharp decline in earnings over the last two years, largely due to stricter pesticide regulations in its main overseas markets, particularly the European Union.
Recent statistics indicate the country is losing ground in a sector that had previously been a major foreign exchange contributor.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the value of vegetable exports dropped to Sh16.1 billion in 2025, down 31.3 percent from Sh23.4 billion in 2024. This continues a downward trend that began after a record high of Sh50.9 billion in 2023, marking a 68.35 percent fall over two years.
Key export vegetables, including French beans, snow peas, and sugar snaps, which mainly supply European consumers, have been most affected. The Agriculture and Food Authority says the decline is linked to rising European border rejections of Kenyan produce over pesticide residue breaches.
“This sharp reduction is primarily attributed to increased Maximum Residue Level (MRL) interceptions and official notifications issued by the European Union concerning Kenya’s French beans and snow peas (pods),” the regulator said in its latest annual report.
Maximum Residue Level (MRL) defines the highest pesticide residue allowed on food when chemicals are correctly applied. Data shows Kenyan vegetable consignments failing these limits have been climbing since 2023, indicating growing compliance difficulties. In 2024, 57 shipments were intercepted for pesticide residues, more than double the 25 cases in 2023.
The EU has also toughened inspection rules, now treating any level of pesticide residue as a violation. The regulator warns that repeated interceptions threaten both revenue and market access, and may even lead to temporary export bans if corrective measures are not taken.
“In response, the EU tightened border inspection requirements for Kenyan vegetables, increasing the inspection frequency from five percent to 15 percent at designated EU entry points,” the regulator said.
“These enhanced regulatory controls have had a direct impact on market access, shipping timelines, and the cost of compliance, ultimately contributing to the substantial reduction in export earnings from the vegetable subsector.”
The drop in earnings has been mirrored by declining export volumes. Data from the Horticultural Directorate of the AFA shows shipments fell to 65,595 metric tonnes in 2025, down 11.7 percent from 74,304 tonnes in 2024.
This follows a much sharper decline in 2024 when volumes plunged 54.7 percent from the 164,064 tonnes exported in 2023, reflecting the deepening challenges in Kenya’s vegetable trade.
