KEPHIS sets out rules for Kenyan dried chilli exports to China; facilities must register first

Kenyan farmers and traders have gained access to China's market for dried chillies, the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) announced in a public notice setting out the conditions exporters must meet. The Kenyan news site Sacco Review reported it on 22 October 2026 and the Eastleigh Voice on 23 October.

China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) published quarantine and sanitary requirements for dried chillies from African countries in late April 2026. Guo Xueyan, head of GACC's Department of International Cooperation, said in a report by China's state broadcaster CCTV, carried by the Chinese news site The Paper on 1 May 2026, that from that day dried chillies from African countries that have diplomatic relations with China could be exported to China if they met those requirements.

Businesses must meet China's plant health and food safety requirements before they can ship. KEPHIS urged farmers, processors, packers, exporters and producer organisations to prepare their operations in advance.

Processing and packing facilities must be registered with GACC through KEPHIS, which inspects and approves them first. Farms, production sites, drying facilities and packhouses must also be registered with KEPHIS.

Every consignment needs a phytosanitary certificate issued by KEPHIS.

Exporters must set up traceability systems, follow Good Agricultural Practices and Integrated Pest Management, and keep pest monitoring records for at least two years.

Shipments must meet limits for pesticide residues, heavy metals and aflatoxin B1. Sudan dyes are banned and the chillies must be free of Salmonella. Moisture content must not exceed 13 per cent.

Packaging and labelling must meet prescribed standards, including the use of clean and appropriate packaging materials. Consignments must be free of specified quarantine pests, including the khapra beetle, the cowpea weevil and the common bean bruchid.

Failure to meet these requirements could block market access. KEPHIS invited farmers, exporters, processors, aggregators and industry associations to contact it for guidance on registration, certification and compliance.