Kenya missing out on mango billions after export ban over fruit flyEsther Kimani, Kephis Managing Director (left), Betty Kibaar from Rockefeller Foundation and Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana (right) launch Komesha Fruit Fly Campaign at Radisson Blu Hotel on Friday. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]Kenya’s bid to secure international markets for the mango fruit has started to take shape. The most affected is mango the mango, the second most common fruit after banana, with losses caused by the fruit fly estimated to be between 40 and 80 per cent, translating to between Sh5 billion and Sh10 billion every year, according to the crops directorate. On Friday, players met at a hotel in Nairobi where they launched a fruit fly free zone campaign dubbed “Komesha fruit fly” where they agreed to create awareness among farmers and jointly work to eliminate the menace. Kimani said once Kenya has been declared fruit fly free zone, doors to international markets will open and farmers will fetch good income from the exportation of the fruits.

Source: Standard Digital January 18, 2020 22:07 UTC