Ministry of Agriculture Director of Policy Kennedy Anahinga during a Mutual Recognition Agreement meeting on August 17, 2026 . [Benard Orwongo, Standard]
East African food producers could gain greater access to regional markets and cut costly delays following renewed efforts to eliminate non-tariff barriers that have long hampered cross-border agricultural trade.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), working with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, is pushing member states to fast-track Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) aimed at making trade in agricultural products easier and more predictable.
The proposed framework would allow accredited inspection, testing and certification results from one-member state to be recognised by another, ending the practice of subjecting consignments to duplicate checks at border points.
For farmers, processors and traders, the reforms could translate into lower transport costs, reduced post-harvest losses and faster access to consumers across the region.
Kenya’s State Department of Agriculture Director of Policy Kennedy Anahinga said harmonising regulatory systems was essential to unlocking the economic potential of regional trade.
“Advancing MRAs is not a technical exercise for regulators alone; it is a trade facilitation agenda that speaks directly to jobs, incomes, and food systems resilience across our region,” Anahinga said.
Kenya became the first country to ratify the AfCFTA agreement in 2019 and is now aligning its certification infrastructure with continental standards to facilitate movement of locally produced goods.