Trade in agricultural commodities across East Africa could become faster, cheaper and more predictable following a unified move by the East African Community (EAC) to harmonise plant inspection procedures for some of the region’s most heavily traded crops.

Agricultural experts from the eight EAC partner states have completed harmonised Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) frameworks and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for four priority commodities – soybeans, groundnuts, pineapples and avocado – in a move aimed at reducing non-tariff barriers while protecting the region from destructive pests and diseases.

The frameworks were finalised during a four-day technical WriteShop held in Kampala from May 26 to 29, bringing together plant health specialists, policy experts and agricultural regulators from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The documents are expected to be submitted to the EAC Sectoral Committee on Agriculture and Food Security later this month for adoption before implementation begins across the region.

Officials say the initiative could significantly reduce border delays that currently affect traders transporting agricultural products between member states.“Sixty-five per cent of all trade in the EAC comprises agricultural commodities that are highly consumed and traded within the region,” said David Wafula, EAC’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) coordinator. “The goal is to come up with harmonised Pest Risk Analysis procedures that can be used for inspections at borders, particularly at one-stop border posts, so that plant inspectors can apply the same tools when clearing consignments from one country to another.”Wafula said the EAC’s challenge is balancing trade facilitation with protection against invasive pests and diseases that can devastate agricultural production.“As much as we want to facilitate free trade, we do not want situations where harmful pests are moved from one country to another. We want trade that is safe and that protects our agricultural economies and environments,” he said.

According to Mr Wafula, implementation of the new procedures could dramatically reduce waiting times at busy border posts.“At the Namanga border between Tanzania and Kenya, about 350 trucks cross daily. Because there are currently no harmonised inspection procedures, a truck can remain at the border for an entire day. With harmonised procedures, we expect this to come down to around two hours,” he said. For traders dealing in perishable goods such as avocados and pineapples, shorter clearance times could translate into lower transport costs and reduced post-harvest losses.

Ephrance Tumuboine, Uganda’s Assistant Commissioner for Phytosanitary and Quarantine Services and chair of the EAC Technical Working Group on Pest Risk Analysis, said the process has drawn on expertise from multiple scientific disciplines.“This Technical Working Group is looking at different pests and diseases. Some are viruses, some are insects and others are fungi. We have experts in entomology, plant pathology and virology working together,” Tumuboine said.“When we validate the information, we bring together these specialists and policy experts because after the technical work is completed, it must be translated into policy that can be implemented.”She said farmers stand to benefit directly from the risk assessments because they provide clear guidance on pest prevention and control measures. “When we analyse risks and identify what can be done to prevent them, farmers benefit because they know they need to plant clean, pest-free materials. That helps maximise production,” Tumuboine said.

This is also expected to improve transparency in cross-border trade by reducing opportunities for arbitrary decisions by inspectors.“Once requirements are harmonised and made available online, exporters will know exactly what is expected before the consignment reaches the border. This reduces unnecessary interaction with inspectors and eliminates opportunities for exploitation,” she said.“You have smoother trade flows, improved food security and better livelihoods.”Dr Joab Tugume, Senior Agricultural Inspector in Uganda’s National Plant Protection Organisation and a member of the EAC technical working group, said the harmonisation effort is grounded in international trade rules and scientific evidence.“This is about safe trade within the EAC,” he said.“According to the World Trade Organisation and the International Plant Protection Convention, you cannot regulate a pest that already exists in your country because that would become a technical barrier to trade.”Tugume said all participating countries were required to declare pests present within their territories.

Only pests that are absent from a country can be regulated as quarantine pests.“Once this initiative is implemented, we can safely trade within the East African region because there will be less unnecessary regulation,” he said.“You may find that after the analysis, a country that was regulating three or five pests is left regulating only one or none. That means trade becomes much smoother among partner states.”However, he noted that stricter measures may still be necessary where risks are particularly high.

For example, movement of banana suckers has been restricted to prevent the spread of Banana Bunchy Top Virus, a disease capable of causing severe production losses.“When you compare the cost of compliance with the potential damage, the measures are justified,” Tugume said. “A disease like Banana Bunchy Top Virus can collapse yields within a few years if introduced into a plantation.”The harmonisation exercise has been supported by the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), which has played a key role in providing scientific evidence and facilitating regional consensus.

“The harmonisation of the PRA frameworks and SOPs will create an enabling environment for managing pests while guiding the enforcement of phytosanitary standards in cross-border trade,” he said.“These procedures will become the reference tools used by inspectors at border points to ensure trade is safe while preventing economic losses and environmental damage caused by harmful pests.”Barungi said the work also positions East African producers to take advantage of wider market opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).“We want to encourage intra-EAC trade without the risk of phytosanitary issues. If our commodities can move smoothly within the region, they will also be better positioned to access wider continental markets,” he said.

ASARECA Executive Director Sylvester Dickson Baguma described the completion of the harmonised frameworks as a significant milestone for regional agricultural trade.

He said the expected outcomes include stronger enforcement of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, reduced non-tariff barriers, increased cross-border trade and improved food security.“By establishing unified and practical inspection guidelines, we are helping reduce phytosanitary trade barriers, prevent the spread of transboundary pests and diseases, and facilitate seamless cross-border trade,” Baguma said.

The PRA frameworks will now undergo national validation before being submitted to the EAC Sectoral Council on Agriculture and Food Security for approval.

If adopted as expected later this month, the EAC will begin training plant health inspectors at strategic border points across the region before rolling out the harmonised inspection procedures.

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