The Agriculture and Food Authority’s Horticultural Crops Directorate (AFA‑HCD) has issued a formal warning to horticultural stakeholders over a sharp rise in produce poaching and side‑selling within the beans and peas export value chain.

In a corporate circular sent to industry bodies including the Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya and the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya, AFA‑HCD Director Christine Chesaro highlighted that the malpractice threatens traceability, food safety and Kenya’s credibility in international markets.

Field investigations focused on contracted snow peas and sugar snap clusters in Kinangop, Nyandarua County, and Timau, Meru County, uncovered predatory brokerage, delayed payments, weight variances and weak enforcement of contracts as key drivers of side‑selling.

The directorate noted that these practices breach Regulations 22 and 23 of the Crops (Horticultural Crops) Regulations, 2020, which require strict produce traceability and contract farming compliance.

AFA‑HCD warned that continued side‑marketing could render Kenyan beans and peas non‑compliant with the National Horticulture Code of Practice (KS1758) and European market entry requirements that demand field‑to‑fork accountability.

The directorate called on the Fresh Produce Consortium and the Exporters Association to mobilise self‑regulation, cleanse memberships of rogue brokers and enforce contractual obligations between aggregators and farmers.

AFA‑HCD also signalled plans to strengthen joint industry surveillance partnerships to enforce transparency frameworks and protect legitimate exporters from unfair competition.