1C1KKTs

• Some horticultural products are processed before export. This is the fourth most important
product group, after flowers, vegetables and fruit
• Private arrangements for financing ensure compliance with GAP
• Transport arrangements are contracted privately, and sometimes involve exporting
companies
• Insurance arrangements are provided privately where applicable
• Stakeholders provide support for indigenous vegetable production, seed production, and
vegetable drying
• FPEAK is a premier association of growers, exporters and service providers; it is a focal
and coordination point for the horticulture industry, and provides technical and marketing
information and training, acts as an information centre, and also runs active lobbying and
advocacy programes to enhance the sector’s competiveness
• Kenya Flower Council (KFC) promotes specific codes of practice
• Farmer organisations support production and/or marketing, and represent producer
groups at various levels.
Interventions. The horticulture sector continues to receive support from numerous
stakeholders. MoA, HCDA, growers and exporters provide technical and advisory services,
ensuring compliance with GAP standards. These include standards for food safety, environmental
protection, occupational health safety and welfare, and animal welfare. Between 2003 and
2004 when the GAP scheme was introduced, the MoA and HCDA with financial support from
the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) trained farmers on good agricultural
practices that ensured ongoing preferential access to European Union (EU) markets. They also
promoted value addition through postharvest processing. Both the Kenya Industrial Research
and Development Institute (KIRDI) and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
Technology (JKUAT) have developed solar driers for fruits and vegetables.
Farmers were encouraged to form groups to reap the benefits from training and working
together. The group approach proved advantageous for certifying bodies unable to deal with
many individual producers.
At the same time several other networks and projects have supported the sector since introduction
of GAP. These include the Smallholder Horticulture Marketing Project (SHoMAP), Smallholder
Horticulture Development Project (SHDP) and Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and
Promotion Unit Project (SHEPUP). These projects focused on smallholder infrastructure support,
not necessarily addressing GAP certification requirements. Donors that have supported the
horticultural production include JICA – supporting SHEPUP, International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) – supporting SHoMAP, African Development Bank (ADB) – supporting
SHDP, USAID – supporting the Kenya Horticultural Competitiveness Project (KHCP), and Swedish
International Development Agency (SIDA) – supporting training and extension.
Success has been based on interrelated policy, institutional, infrastructure and technological
innovations including:
34 Agricultural Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa