Trade in potato among EAC (East Africa Community) member countries exists due to comparative advantages in some countries over others. For this to take place, commodities must transit across borders. However, the movement of potato poses a risk of introduction, establishment and spread of quarantine pests or regulated non-quarantine pests (RNQP). Therefore, phytosanitary measures have to be taken to mitigate such risks. These measures (non-tariff measures), should be instituted in a scientifically justified, transparent and non- discriminatory manner. For this reason, an agreed way of inspecting potato among the EAC Partner States has been conceived. This forms the basis of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for inspection of potato among EAC member states. By using the SOPs, each partner state gives an assurance on the phytosanitary status of the traded Potato both seed potato and ware potato to the other Partner states.
Stakeholders during the review of Standard Operating Procedures for Phytosanitary measures
In the effort to enhance and facilitate production and trading of safe agricultural inputs and materials within the region, a standards operation procedure review for inspecting pests of phytosanitary importance in potato was convened on 23rd October 2024 at Sarova Stanley Hotel, Nairobi. The meeting culminated into having a refined SOP document that will be approved by the EAC committee for adoption in the trade of wares and seed potato in the region. In attendance State Department of East Africa Community, NPCK, AFA, UoN, FPEAK, KENAFF, KEPHIS, BASF and KARLO.
