Kenyan dried chillies cleared for China amid new export rules for farmers

The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) announced the market access in October 2026, opening another export channel for local agricultural producers seeking buyers beyond traditional markets in Europe and the Middle East.

The approval follows China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) Announcement No. 50 of 2026, issued on April 26.

It allows dried chillies from African countries that maintain diplomatic relations with China to enter the Chinese market, provided exporters comply with the prescribed import requirements.

Farms and facilities must be registered

Market access does not mean that any farmer can simply dry chillies and send them to China.

KEPHIS requires farms, production sites, drying facilities, processing plants and packing houses involved in the export chain to be registered with the inspectorate.

Export processing and packing facilities must also be registered with China's customs authority.

KEPHIS is responsible for inspecting and approving eligible facilities before they are submitted for registration with GACC.

Every consignment must have a phytosanitary certificate issued by KEPHIS.

The certificate confirms that the shipment has met the plant health requirements imposed by the importing country.

Exporters must also maintain traceability systems showing where the chillies were grown and how they moved through the production and processing chain.

The quality standards exporters must meet

China's requirements cover both plant health and food safety.

Exporters must observe Good Agricultural Practices and Integrated Pest Management measures, while keeping pest-monitoring records for at least two years.

Dried chillies must comply with China's limits on pesticide residues, aflatoxin B1 and heavy metals.

Aflatoxin B1 is a toxin produced by certain moulds that can contaminate agricultural products during production or storage.

The rules also prohibit Sudan dyes and require consignments to meet microbiological standards, including the absence of Salmonella.

Moisture content must not exceed 13 per cent.

This is a critical requirement for dried produce because excess moisture can encourage mould growth and compromise product quality during storage and transportation.

Shipments must also be free from specified quarantine pests.

These include the khapra beetle, cowpea weevil and common bean bruchid, alongside other pests and plant pathogens identified by Chinese authorities.

Packaging and labelling must comply with the prescribed standards, and exporters are required to use clean and appropriate packaging materials.

What do farmers and exporters need to do?

Farmers, processors, aggregators, packers and exporters interested in the Chinese market should begin by engaging KEPHIS on registration, facility inspection and certification procedures.

Producers supplying export chains will need to maintain proper farm records and follow pest-control and handling practices that can be verified during inspections.

Processors and packers must ensure that drying, storage and packaging operations maintain the required moisture and food-safety standards.

Exporters will also need reliable buyers, consistent supply volumes and arrangements for transporting the consignments to China.

Market approval does not guarantee purchase orders, prices or immediate commercial shipments.

A new market, with strict conditions

The opening adds dried chillies to the range of Kenyan agricultural products that can access China, providing an opportunity to expand production, local processing and export earnings.

It also creates room for investment in drying and packaging facilities, particularly in areas where farmers can organise production through cooperatives, aggregators and established export businesses.

For now, the biggest hurdle is compliance.

Kenyan producers will only benefit commercially when they can supply consistent volumes of dried chillies that meet China's plant-health, food-safety and quality requirements.