In recent twelvemonth , there has been a growing complexness of phytosanitary challenges in the horticulture and floriculture sector due to the increase world-wide movement of agricultural produce . The overreliance on synthetic pesticides poses threats to quality and international fight . The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands take for a shop to promote biopesticides at the 2023 Naivasha Horticulture Fair as a sustainable solution to evolving sanitary and phytosanitary standards .
In recent age , phytosanitary - pertain challenge have become more complex , in the main due to the increased movement of agricultural garden truck and regulated materials from one country to another . Kenya is no elision . Some of these pests and diseases have the capacity to directly touch consumers , legal injury crops , and the natural environment . Their wallop is far-flung , given that most of these plague and disease are transboundary . The burden to control them principally falls on the producers . This now affects the quality of produce and ultimately fight of Kenyan produce on the international food market . Overreliance on synthetical pesticides has made this worse due to heightened demand on the usage of pesticides that are in coalition with the phytosanitary standards for the import and export markets . Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards ( SPS ) measures are now a strategic tool for develop and differentiating marketplace , increase market access code , coordinating the character and condom of food systems , and delineate market ecological niche for export products .
For sustainability , the good use of chemicals in production is key to meeting the SPS standard . It is towards this goal , that the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands , together with better half , halt a workshop during the 20th edition of the Naivasha Horticultural mediocre in Naivasha- Nakuru County , where stakeholder partake in experiences on the use of bio solutions , regularization policies and the function that all run in enabling the modulation to the use of goods and services of biopesticides , as a solution to changing Sanitary and Phytosanitary requirements in the horticulture and Floriculture sectors .
Bart Pauwels , Agriculture Counsellor at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands , give the workshop forum by foreground the changing demands from administration to government for rigorous sanitary phytosanitary standards , that is informed by the deepen surroundings for output and growing demand by consumers . " plague are becoming more repellent to pesticide , and the effect of mood variety are worsening the output environment in agriculture . It is therefore imperative for the sector to adapt to these changes and look for safer solvent to handle the pest and disease threat in a bid to safeguard trade . "
Regulatory agencies in Kenya , such as Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service ( KEPHIS ) , Kenya Flower Council ( KFC ) , Pest Control Products Board ( PCPB ) , and IBMA ( International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association ) , have been working with growers , researchers , and agro - chemicals suppliers to secure that the pesticide used in yield are in alinement with the phytosanitary standards for the significance and export markets .
accord to Sarah Wambugu , Senior Pesticide Registration Officer- Pest Control Products Board ( PCPB ) , " With the deepen SPS requirements , there has been increased interest in licence biocontrol result that aim to reduce the overutilisation of synthetic chemical . "
It was noted that production and commercialisation of bio - pesticide is hampered by lengthy and pricy registration processes and short output , dispersion and computer memory infrastructure . The state of affairs is compounded by a lack of awareness to the populace and the proliferation of adulterate products . This is a challenge in the Bio - control space since most products have a limited shelf life-time , hence make it very expensive for many manufacturing business to introduce biopesticides .
To handle this , there was a proposal of marriage to PCPB to consider providing impermanent license for intersection that have been approved in other key marketplace . This way of life , more producers in the Horticulture and Floriculture sectors will be able to get at the biopesticides solution . Sarah added that PCPB makes exemptions in extra lawsuit , such as pinch from pestilence and disease outbreaks , and is in the cognitive process of exploring other opportunities to hie the favorable reception process .
Kenya ’s floriculture sector is advanced with credit to regulative organisation . According to John Njenga , Scheme Manager- Kenya Flower Council , the council is working towards compliance by its members to global standards and has specify 2025 as the yr to strike full compliance . " By becoming phallus of Kenya Flower Council , we monitor our members ' usage of chemical substance through data point collection and audits take on to ensure that compliance is achieve . Through abidance and accreditation by the council , It becomes easier for them to get at all markets . However , the cost of transition from synthetic to some of the biopesticides is very high . This poses a peril of adoption by the producers . There is a need to seek ways to make bio - control solution affordable and accessible . "
Farmers who have started to use bio - protection solutions are already note positive changes in the quality of their produce . Amala Munyendo – a farm manager , noted that by using biopesticides , their use of synthetical chemicals has remarkably reduced the prevalence of pest , too . On the other manus , Avinash Mokate play up that , at the oncoming of using bio solutions , the outcome are achieved at a much slower charge per unit , but once the territory gains its wellness , the yields increase , and the maintenance monetary value also reduces . " However , it ’s important to note that the efficaciousness of biopesticides can vary depend on factors like craw case , pest species , and local environmental conditions . unified pest direction ( IPM ) strategy that coalesce various pest mastery methods , let in biopesticides , synthetical pesticides , and cultural practice , are often the most effective way to address pest challenge while meeting SPS standard .
seed : agroberichtenbuitenland.nl
