Japan Red Flags Kenyan Coffee Over Contamination Claims

By Jane Muia / Published August 4, 2022 | 2:15 pm

KEY POINTS

Kenya exported USD 229 Million in coffee, making it the 25th largest exporter of coffee in the world. The same year, coffee was the 5th most shipped product in Kenya. The fastest-growing export markets for Coffee in Kenya between 2019 and 2020 were the United States, Switzerland, and Germany.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Kenya depends on the vast Japanese markets for coffee exports.

In 2021, Kenya exported coffee worth 1.5 billion shillings to Japan making it the sixth consumer of Kenyan coffee.

The Japanese Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare has raised concern over Kenyan coffee after samples taken out of the commodity were found to contain chlorpyrifos- a pesticide used on crops and animals.

The detected amount of the said chemical in the sampled coffee exceeded the minimum amount of 0.05 percent.

“Japan found that the levels exceeded the required minimum as set by the Japanese authorities and this is an issue of concern to us,” Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) managing director Theophilus Mutui said.

This is after authorities in Tokyo discouraged the use of non-recommended pesticides in the produce, as they may be dangerous to the consumers. This comes as a setback to Kenya which depends on the vast Japanese markets for coffee exports. In 2021, Kenya exported coffee worth 1.5 billion shillings to Japan making it the sixth consumer of Kenyan coffee.

The issue has now pushed the Asian nation to elevate the compliance checks for Kenyan coffee from the initial 10 percent to 30 percent meaning that more consignments are at risk of rejection. In addition, it has issued a fresh directive to Kenya to initiate voluntary tests of the commodity in the warehouses and at the packaging before shipping it.

According to the International Coffee Organization, Kenya, on average, produces 800,000 bags of coffee annually. Data from the ministry of agriculture shows that only 58,424 tons of clean coffee have been exported to 11 countries only for the last five years, from 2016/17- to 2020/21.

This means that the commodity exports might decline following the new directive by Japan which may take some time to be fully implemented. Kephis boss has now called upon industry players to sensitize farmers on the correct use of pesticides to meet the required standards by the importing countries.

This is not the first time Japan has raised concerns about Kenyan coffee. In 2020, Japan banned Kenyan coffee over high levels of Ochratoxin which exceeded the recommended minimum. South Korea also banned the commodity over a similar claim.

During the period, Kenya exported USD 229 Million in coffee, making it the 25th largest exporter of coffee in the world. The same year, coffee was the 5th most shipped product in Kenya. The fastest-growing export markets for Coffee in Kenya between 2019 and 2020 were the United States, Switzerland, and Germany.