Tanzania and Kenya resolve poultry export dispute after three years
Tanzania and Kenya have successfully resolved a longstanding dispute over the export of poultry and poultry products between the two countries, the East African Community (EAC) said in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement said the dispute was resolved during a two-day consultative meeting held at the EAC headquarters in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha that ended on Tuesday.
Rabson Wanjala, the co-chair of the meeting from Kenya who represented the Kenyan High Commissioner to Tanzania, said both countries are committed to fostering trade relations, adding that their commitments underscore the importance of collaborative efforts to ensure increased trade in the region.
Benezeth Lutege Malinda, acting director of veterinary services in Tanzania's Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, said Tanzania is actively addressing trade obstacles by ensuring that all trade-facilitating agencies focus on resolving issues, particularly non-tariff barriers, that hinder trade.
"We remain committed to tackling these challenges and fostering an environment conducive to seamless trade between Kenya and Tanzania," he said.
The meeting brought together veterinary authorities from both countries to resolve the ban on the export of poultry and poultry products from Kenya to Tanzania.
Kenya has historically been a significant exporter of poultry and poultry-related products to Tanzania, including day-old chicks, hatching eggs, parent stock and processed poultry items, said the statement.
According to the statement, Tanzania imposed a ban on poultry imports from Kenya in 2021 due to the global outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a ban that severely impacted Kenya's poultry industry, hindering access to a vital market.
