Kenya to promote biological pest control methods

Kenya on Sunday said that it plans to promote use of biological methods to control pests that prey on agricultural exports.

Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) Acting Managing Director Esther Kimani told Xinhua in Nairobi that the move will help Kenya to overcome stringent controls on use of pesticides imposed by export markets such as the European Union (EU).

"We are currently implementing measures to ensure farmers of key export crops to embrace biological pest control methods in order to safeguard the lucrative markets," Kimani said.

The majority of Kenyan exports are composed of agricultural products.

She said most biological methods of pest control are either insect or micro-organism based, adding that Kenya has put in place the Standing Technical Committee for Import and Exports to encourage and monitor trade in biological pests control.

Kimani said some farmers are heavily dependent on chemicals to control pests, which result in lots of pesticide residuals on the crops.

The CEO said as a result of high pesticide residues, the EU has imposed strict inspection on Kenyan peas.

"We are currently in discussions with the EU on the progress we have made in reducing pesticides so that they can relax the border controls that are delaying clearance of agricultural goods," she said.