USDA considers Kenyan bean imports
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is considering amending its regulations to allow the import of French beans and runner beans from Kenya.
As a condition of entry, both commodities would have to be produced in accordance with a 'systems approach' that would include requirements for packing, washing and processing. Both commodities would also require a phytosanitary certificate stating that each consignment was inspected and found free of quarantine pests.
According to USDA, Kenya produced about 37,000 metric tons of French beans per year from 2004 to 2009, of which it exported about 34,000 metric tons, mostly to the European Union. 'The EU provides a well-established market and it is unlikely that there would be a large diversion of French bean exports by Kenya from this market to the United States,' USDA said.
The department said the amount of beans Kenya expects to export to the United States is about 800 metric tons.
USDA will accept comments about the proposed rule through May 24. For more details, read the Federal Register notice.