A coffee farmer sorts out coffee berries at a coffee factory in Mathira, Nyeri County. [File, Standard] Kenya’s coffee industry is racing against time to comply with the European Union Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR), a stringent new trade requirement that could lock smallholder farmers out of one of their most lucrative markets if unmet by January 1, 2026. With over 55 per cent of Kenya’s coffee exports destined for the European Union, failure to align with these new standards could trigger a market crisis with wide-reaching economic consequences. The EUDR mandates that all agricultural products entering the EU—including coffee—must be…
Author: By Paul Mbugua
Published Date: 2025-07-27 00:00:00 Author: By Paul Mbugua Source: The Standard
Avoveg Limited’s horticultural produce for local and international markets. [File, Standard] Efforts to boost the trade of fruits and vegetables across Eastern and Southern Africa have received a major boost, with regional leaders agreeing to speed up the removal of trade barriers that continue to block smooth business between countries. At the opening of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Comesa-EAC (East African Community) Horticulture Accelerator (CEHA) workshop in Nairobi, Trade Principal Secretary Regina Ombam called for urgent action to identify and fix these non-tariff barriers (NTBs)—rules or practices that make it harder and more expensive to move…
The AYuTe NextGen 2025 Winners (L-R): Carolyn Mwangi, Nana Opoku, Richies Attai, and Maryanne Gichanga, of Agritechs Analytics-Kenya. [Paul Mbugua, Standard] Kenya’s youth-led innovation ecosystem has once again proved its mettle after two groundbreaking agri-technology solutions scooped top honours at the 2025 AYuTe NextGen competition in Kampala, Uganda. The annual platform, hosted by Heifer International, convened young agricultural technology (agritech) innovators from across Africa to pitch scalable, climate-smart solutions aimed at transforming food systems. This year’s event attracted over 100 applications from 10 countries, with 11 finalists making it to the main stage after a rigorous selection process. In the…
The National Treasury and Economic Planning Cabinet SecretaryJohn Mbadi during the launch of Economic Survey 2025 when it was revealed that the economy had registered 4.7 growth at the Kenyatta Convention Center, Nairobi on May 6th, 2025. [Standard, Kanyiri Wahito] The Kenya National Farmers’ Federation (KENAFF) has raised the alarm over several proposals in the Finance Bill, 2025, warning that the changes could cripple smallholder farmers and undo recent gains in the agricultural sector. In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday at the Farmers’ Conference Centre at Thogoto, Kiambu County, KENAFF National Board Chairman Kaburu M’Ribu urged the government to urgently reconsider tax…