China clears Kenyan dried chillies for export under strict rules
KEPHIS says Kenyan dried chillies can now enter China if they meet Beijing's plant health and food safety rules. Farms, dryers and packers must register first, so shipments will not start right away.
Kenyan farmers can now sell dried chillies to China. The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) said the crop has been cleared for export. Shipments must meet China's phytosanitary, food safety and quality requirements. Pulse Live Kenya reported that KEPHIS announced the market access in October. The approval follows Announcement No. 50 of 2026 from China's General Administration of Customs (GACC), issued on April 26. It admits dried chillies from African countries that have diplomatic relations with China. Commercial shipments will begin only once farms and facilities meet a list of conditions. Farms, drying sites, processing plants and packing houses must register with KEPHIS. Export processing and packing facilities must also register with Chinese customs. KEPHIS will inspect and approve them before they are put forward to GACC. Every consignment needs a KEPHIS phytosanitary certificate. The food safety rules are tight. Chillies must stay within China's limits on pesticide residues, aflatoxin B1 and heavy metals. Sudan dyes are banned, and shipments must be free of Salmonella. Moisture content cannot exceed 13 per cent, KBC Digital reported. Shipments must also be free of quarantine pests such as the khapra beetle, cowpea weevil and common bean bruchid. Exporters must keep…
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