Kenya Launches National Digital Traceability System (NHTS) to Strengthen Export Trade & Compliance

The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has officially commissioned the National Horticulture Traceability System (NHTS), a landmark digital platform designed to track agricultural produce from individual farm blocks all the way to export markets. The state-backed platform is engineered to improve Kenya's compliance with strict international food safety standards and EU regulations.

Addressing International Compliance Demands

Speaking during the official launch, AFA Board Chairman Cornelly Serem highlighted that global buyers increasingly demand full visibility into farming practices, chemical usage, and harvest timelines before admitting imports.

"We will know exactly where crops are coming from, the chemicals used, and how they were produced. We have more importers wanting to know where the crops are coming from, which pesticides are being used, and the chemicals applied during planting. The system will allow the importer to verify even the fertilizers used."

— Cornelly Serem, AFA Board Chairman

Serem added that the platform will serve as a "game changer" for the sector by allowing authorities to quickly identify the source of rejected exports and address challenges directly at the farm level rather than facing blanket bans.

End-to-End Tracking & Geolocation Mapping

AFA Acting Director General Dr. Calistus Kundu explained that the system—which has been in active development for over a decade—provides comprehensive end-to-end logging from planting to harvest.

• Farm Activity Logging: Captures spraying schedules, pesticide applications, fertilization, irrigation, and grading.
• Geolocation Polygon Mapping: Digital GPS mapping verifies farm size and expected crop yields to curb fraud and prevent over-declaration of export volumes.
• Phased Exporter Registration: Exporters will initially be required to register and map all supplier farms before the platform expands to supermarkets and informal markets.

Automated Export Permits & Real-Time Enforcement

Christine Chesaro, Director of the Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD), emphasized that export permits will now be directly linked to verified farm data.

"Export permits will be directly tied to verified farm records. The system will flag irregularities in real time, preventing export volumes that exceed recorded farm output and significantly enhancing enforcement."

— Christine Chesaro, Director of the Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD)

Industry & Exporter Reactions

Key industry stakeholders and exporters have welcomed the nationalization of traceability:

• Avocado Exporters Association of Kenya: CEO Joseph Wagurah noted that the centralized government platform replaces fragmented company-level systems.

  "Previously, each company had its own traceability system. Now it has been nationalised into a single system that traces fruits from the farm to the export market. A centralized platform supported by government will enhance trust among exporters and importers and improve response times to Maximum Residue Level (MRL) rejections."

• Avocado Aggregators Association of Kenya: Chairman Wanjohi Mukuria welcomed the initiative but advocated for a phased rollout to prevent sudden operational disruptions for farmers and exporters.
• Karen Roses Ltd: Export Manager Juliana Tele expressed optimism regarding paperless digital processing, barcode tracking, and cost reductions, while urging the government to simultaneously address rising avocado theft affecting local farmers.

Economic Impact & Export Volume Summary

Horticulture remains one of Kenya’s primary foreign exchange earners. According to official AFA data released during the launch:

Automated platforms like TRACE complement this national infrastructure by anchoring these farm-level metrics directly into Digital Product Passports (DPPs) to guarantee friction-free clearance at international ports.