Cultivating
Sustainable Futures
News
Desert Locust situation
As we all focus on COVID-19, it’s important not to lose sight of other critical issues facing the sector. Of particular concern is the locust crisis in Africa; the forecast is worrying and FAO warns that the impact on food security in the next few months could be devastating.According to the FAO Locust Watch update, the situation in the Horn of Africa remains extremely serious. In Kenya, a new generation of locusts is developing. More eggs will hatch and form hopper bands during May, with new swarms in late June and July at the start of harvest. Swarms are also forming and maturing in southern Ethiopia and along the Somali-Ethiopian border.Because it coincides with the beginning of the long rains and the planting season, this is an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods in East Africa, and a serious concern for the horticultural export sector. During 2019 the locust swarms in Kenya and Uganda remained in the drier Northern regions, but there is a risk that they will now move into the main production areas.FAO is working with governments and NGOs to conduct large scale aerial spraying campaigns throughout the region. The aim is to control the locusts during the early part of the year until June and July, when southerly winds and the dry season should push them north again. Covid-19, however, is creating additional challenges; spraying is restricted by cross-border movements, as well as holding up the delivery of pesticide shipments.As well as the potential for crop loss, horticultural export companies face the possibility of drift from aerial spraying. Many of the substances recommended by FAO for the control of locusts are not permitted in the EU, or are expected to lose authorisations soon (including deltamethrin, fenitrothion, malathion, teflubenzuron, and chlorpyrifos).COLEACP will be liaising with our partners in the countries affected to ensure there is a local/regional capacity to conduct residue analysis for the substances being used; it is very important that crops for export can be tested in the event that there is any risk they could have become contaminated.
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Enhancing kenyan horticultural exports: COLEACP's new EU programme
COLEACP’s new Nairobi-based programme, signed on 30 April, aims to increase the resilience, inclusiveness and sustainability of Kenyan horticultural value chains. The four-year, €5 million programme financed by the European Union through the EU delegation in Kenya, will aim to secure a lasting improvement in the capacity of all stakeholders in the Kenyan horticultural sector to adapt to evolving sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS), commercial, social and environmental requirements on local, regional and international markets. Implemented by a programme management unit based in Nairobi, activities are supported by a growing network of local experts in East Africa, and are based on COLEACP’s proven system and tools for training, technical support and institutional capacity-building.Priorities have been informed by a detailed consultation process with key stakeholders in Kenyan horticulture from both private and public sectors. The main priorities are to strengthen the private and public sectors, more precisely to build the capacities and skills of :micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs),business membership organisations (BMOs) in the areas of SPS and market requirements,competent authorities supporting Kenya’s horticultural sector.The programme will provide individual, demand-led support to MSMEs in the fruit and vegetable sectors; all horticultural sectors, including cut flowers, will benefit through support to their BMOs.This new venture continues COLEACP’s trademark promotion of engagement between the public and private sectors, and builds on the association’s 20-year history in Kenya through its past programmes and the two ongoing intra-ACP Fit For Market programmes.The programme is launching in the fast-changing context of COVID-19. The need to strengthen food production and distribution systems, and to increase the resilience of agri-food MSMEs to protect the health and livelihoods of employees, producers and communities, has never been greater. COLEACP’s programme activities aim to be agile and responsive to the ongoing urgent need to shift the focus and delivery methods for capacity-building activities over the coming months. The programme, contracted by the Delegation of the European Union to Kenya, forms part of the Regional Indicative Programme for Eastern Africa, Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean 2014–2020, with funding from the 11th European Development Fund.
News
a Dreamliner upfield tons of flowers and vegetables from Nairobi to London.
As part of an initiatives to support Kenya's renowned horticultural industry, KQ Cargo supported by Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK); Kenya Flower Council (KFC); the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kenya; the European Union in Kenya and the Government of Kenya, uplifted 40 tons of flowers and vegetables to Amsterdam. More flights are planned in the future.
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West African Mango Campaign 2020 has begun
SIIM, a key West African mango producer and exporter, has announced the start of the 2020 campaign. The first mangoes, packaged under the Dibra brand from its stations in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Senegal, should arrive by the end of this week. In view of the coronavirus crisis, strict sanitary measures have been taken by the states of these countries not only to protect the population, but also to avoid the spread of the virus. Schools have been closed, travel has been strictly limited and curfews have been introduced.A business continuity plan, specifically developed to manage this crisis within the Omer-Decugis Group, has been rolled out in all its facilities, particularly in all its packing stations in Africa, to protect workers’ health as a priority but also to ensure the safe continuation of operations and the running of the 2020 mango export campaign.In these unusual times, the 2020 campaign was officially launched on 2 April with the first harvests of the Kent variety, with the first containers arriving in Europe in weeks 17 and 18. For the moment, despite the uncertainty created by the health crisis, the start of the campaign is going exactly as planned. No labour or transport difficulties have been observed. Throughout the campaign, which will last until mid-August, West Africa will become the leading supplier of mangoes to European countries.The weather conditions during the flowering phase, in particular the water deficit in February and fruit falls following windy spells, suggest a slightly lower production volume than in the previous marketing year. On the other hand, the taste quality of the fruit looks very satisfactory with high sugar levels. All SIIM’s mango (and coconut) production in West Africa is certified by Global G.A.P. and Rainforest Alliance, and audited by the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI).For the first time, SIIM will be waxing part of its production in order to optimize the preservation of the fruit during transport – a pioneering initiative and an important technical innovation for West Africa.
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COLEACP information on supply and demand for ACP horticultural products
Building on its intra-ACP Fit For Market programmes, COLEACP’s proposed activities in the short term to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will focus on logistics and access to markets. Activities will include: Monitoring and informing the ACP and EU agri-food industry on logistics, trade and market dynamics. Supporting innovative national and international logistics and trade solutions to help ensure the trade in agricultural and food products – matching supply to demand for available logistical routes; diversifying from export to local/regional markets and from fresh to processed. The main goal is to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19 and national lockdowns on food security and nutrition in ACP countries.COLEACP’s specific objectives are to: Provide ACP producers/exporters and their professional organisations with constantly updated information on developments in logistics and national, regional, international and European fruit and vegetable markets. Facilitate the marketing of ACP fruit and vegetable production at local, regional and international levels in the COVID-19 context where access is disrupted. This weekly newsletter is a first initiative in terms of operational information for ACP-EU sectors in the context of COVID-19.From next week, other actions will follow. Stay tuned!
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Global flower industry
The gradual relaxation of lockdown measures in some European countries (Spain, Denmark, Germany) and the effective or planned re-opening of garden centres and/or flower shops (Belgium, Italy, Austria) offer some breathing space for demand of flowers and plants on the European market, which is starting to grow slightly, though nowhere close to the usual volumes known in the peak spring season across Europe. Easter has been generating some very welcome sales in some European countries such as Germany, with most of the benefit going to locally produced plants. Consumers in Northern European countries in particular, where specialised shops are mostly open, have responded enthusiastically to the promotion campaigns and bought flowers and plants to help the industry. Market prospects for spring flower-related celebrations are still uncertain, though, and operators around the world have now set their sights on Mother’s Day celebrations in Europe and the USA over May–June, hoping that the market and logistics connections will have sufficiently restored by then to help save a disastrous start of the spring season to some extent.On 15 April, Dutch Minister for Agriculture Carola Schouten wrote an official letter to the Dutch House of Representatives to announce that an additional 600 million EUR emergency financial compensation fund would be offered to the Dutch ornamental sector, also extended to edible horticulture. The objective is to help compensate lost operating profits in the period March–May 2020. The basic principle is that the first 30% of the profit loss would be borne by entrepreneurial risk, and that the Dutch State will compensate a large share of the remaining 70%. This long-awaited announcement is very welcome to the Dutch ornamental sector. Details and practicalities of this emergency package still need to be supplied.Meanwhile, the domino effect continues to unfold across the worldwide industry, with full effect having reached major flower-producing areas in Africa and South America in weeks 14 and 15. These countries are faced with very specific challenges both in managing the pandemic and in sustaining floriculture operations under extremely complex circumstances. Globally, almost all international scheduled airlines have ceased to operate, and the traditional airbridges to key destination markets have limited availability and at price levels that are largely unstainable for flower suppliers from the Southern hemisphere. Linkage to consumption markets where sales channels are operating, including supermarkets and online flower retailers, is therefore still under great pressure. Flower industry bodies such as the Kenya Flower Council are actively engaged with airlines, freighters and other stakeholders in the supply chain to find a sustainable way forward and secure additional freight capacity as soon as possible.Union Fleurs – International Flower Trade Association – has been actively engaged since the start of the crisis in advocacy efforts at all levels to support its members in Europe and in the Southern Hemisphere. A statement on the specific challenges faced by the global flower industry and supply chain was issued by the organisation on 15 April and has been widely distributed across its large network of industry partners and institutional relations to support advocacy efforts and promote the value and strength of the international flower industry, which is highly interdependent and integrated throughout the value chain.Targeted advocacy efforts to secure extraordinary and urgent financial support by the European Commission towards the European ornamental sector have also been heavily deployed in past weeks. In an unprecedented move, nine major representatives of the ornamental sector, representing altogether all segments and sub-sectors of flowers and live plants across the EU, sent a joint letter to the European Commissioner for Agriculture on 10 April. The letter urges the EU to implement urgent and extraordinary tailor-made support measures for producers and all operators of the ornamental sector across Europe. Coordinated by Union Fleurs, this initiative and the call for urgent help have been well echoed and supported by key Members of the European Parliament and have received great visibility across the media. The nine signatory organisations are specifically calling for: Urgent and temporary extraordinary EU tailor-made support measures to help producers and all operators from the sector across the EU simply survive the crisis until activity can re-start. A strong and concrete signal from the European Commission that flowers and live plants do matter, and are a major contributor to the well-being and quality of life of European citizens, and to climate change mitigation efforts and biodiversity protection. And a clear recognition at EU level that investing now in this sector to help it stay afloat will avoid further long-lasting and irremediable effects on the economic and employment activity, remarkably created and sustained by the wide range of operators in this sector for decades without any intervention or support from the EU. “Extraordinary circumstances do require extraordinary measures. This sector is a remarkably healthy and high-performing economic sector that brings joy, colour, hope, nature and well-being to all citizens across the EU and beyond. Failing to support it now as it faces a dramatic collapse across the EU would be a major and irremediable failure from the EU. We call on the European Commission to do its utmost to act swiftly and pragmatically and help this sector survive until the adequate conditions are there again for it to re-start its essential activities.”The signatories to the letter are: UNION FLEURS (International Flower Trade Association), ENA (European Nurserystock Association), ARELFH (Assembly of European Horticultural Regions), VBN (Association of Dutch Flower auctions), VAL’HOR – French inter-branch organisation for ornamental horticulture (growers, nurseries, seeds companies, garden centres, wholesalers, florists, agro-shops, landscape contractors and landscape architects), ANTHOS (Royal Trade Association for Flower Bulbs), CIOPORA (International Association of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Horticultural Varieties), FLEUROSELECT (International Association of breeders, producers and distributors of propagation material of ornamental plants) and ELCA (European Landscape Contractors Association).
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GLOBALG.A.P. – What You Need to Know
GLOBALG.A.P. has published a set of FAQs relating to COVID-19 for producers with GLOBALG.A.P. Certificates and Certification Bodies. It explains procedures for re-registrations and extensions, and which control points and compliance criteria are directly affected by the GLOBALG.A.P. emergency procedure due to the coronavirus.GLOBALG.A.P. is working on the option of remote inspections and audits for certification bodies and producers: IFA Remote. An initial draft of the IFA Remote solution will soon be published, along with an invitation to join a public consultation on the topic.
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FAO’s information bank
FAO is has a growing range of information resources on COVID-19, available through its dedicated website. Selected information of particular relevance to COLEACP’s members and beneficiaries includes: POLICY BRIEF on COVID-19 and smallholder producers’ access to markets. Immediate impacts tend to be more severe for high-value commodities (perishable products), which are often produced by smallholder farmers. Several countries are putting in place a variety of measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on smallholder producers. This brief builds on lessons learned in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone during the 2014 Ebola virus disease epidemic and during the 2007–2008 global food prices volatility crisis. BIG DATA TOOL providing real-time information on value chains and food security to help countries mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on food and agriculture. This open-access tool gathers, organises and analyses daily information on the impact of the pandemic on food and agriculture, value chains, food prices, food security and measures undertaken. CROP CALENDAR providing FAO recommendations on planting and harvesting during the COVID-19 pandemic, by commodity and country. It focuses on cereals and staples, but does include some horticultural crops: bananas, beans, chillies and peppers, potatoes, pumpkins and squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, yams. OPINION PIECE by FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu urging countries to keep trade routes open and supply chains alive, published by World Economic Forum.
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Institutional responses
Inter-American Development Bank The IADB has a dedicated website for Latin American and Caribbean businesses in the context of COVID-19. It includes blogs and connection platforms on topics such as ‘Tips to prepare your company for the impact of COVID-19’, and ‘How can the COVID -19 crisis change the private sector for the better?’coronawestafrica.info The Regional Working Group for Risk Communication and Community Engagement in West and Central Africa has launched an online portal, COVID-19 West and Central Africa. It will make available information tools (articles, audio, video, graphics and social feeds) on many aspects of the coronavirus, from preventive measures to debunking fake news, that are designed to be culturally adapted and context specific.RPCA with ECOWAS, UEMOA, CILSS The Food Crisis Prevention Network (Réseau de Prévention des Crises alimentaires, RPCA) is hosting a COVID-19 information hub in support of the Regional Task Force led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) together with the West African Monetary and Economic Union (UEMOA) and the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS). EU DEVCO Academy DEVCO Academy, the online learning platform of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, has launched a digital gateway for learning resources to help users learn, protect, cooperate and work effectively during the pandemic. The site compiles facts, general advice, latest news, useful links and learning resources on the topic of coronavirus. It includes, among other resources, COVID-19: Guidance for employers and business to enhance migrant worker protection during the current health crisis, guidance designed to help employers respond more effectively to the impact of COVID-19 and to enhance protections for migrant workers – including agricultural, transport and retail workers – in their operations and supply chains.UNECE – Impacts on global supply chains UNECE’s new Food Outlook page provides information from government and industry sources to observe and help analyse the pandemic’s impact on global supply chains. UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) predicts that following the COVID-19 outbreak in more than 200 territories and countries around the globe, and its impact on the world economy, countries will continue to see a growing shortage of workforce, as well as increasing transaction costs and distortions in the food supply chains globally. UNECE is requesting inputs to this collaborative project. GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS Fair Trade and coronavirus The World Fair Trade Organization and Fairtrade International, supported by the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO), have issued a joint statement in relation to the upcoming G20 Action Plan in response to Covid-19. The statement highlights immediate food security and nutrition concerns, which are expected to be heavily impacted by the health crisis and the necessary responses, including limitations on travel and transportation and closure of public markets. Territorial markets, through which most food is bought in the developing world, will be affected and small-scale farmers are already losing the channels to sell the food they produce. The impact is being particularly heavily felt by Fair Trade Enterprises and Fairtrade supply chains, which have been precisely set up by and for the most marginalised and disadvantaged producers in the Global South.The statement also stresses that this crisis presents an opportunity “to radically rethink the unsustainable and unequal global growth model and replace it with an emphasis on well-being, sustainability and equity”.The Fair Trade movement is calling on G20 leaders to: Put people first – through furlough schemes to support workers and farmers in low-income countries; ensuring farmers and workers have adequate food and essentials, including adequate PPE and training on social distancing Provide urgently a stimulus package to support a green and fair transition Support Fair Trade Enterprises and Fairtrade supply chains. “This is the biggest challenge the Fair Trade movement has ever faced. If we are to retain the progress we have made to achieve sustainable development, immediate support from governments to Fair Trade Enterprises and supply chains is urgently needed,” said Roopa Mehta, President of the World Fair Trade Organization.Webinar – Rethinking Value Chains Network The Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO) has hosted a webinar for the Rethinking Value Chains Network: ‘Coronavirus crisis: Impact on small famers and workers across the textiles, agriculture and electronics global value chains’. The webinar can be viewed here, and a summary is available here.Of particular relevance to horticultural sectors are Wilbert Flinterman’s (Fairtrade International) report on the huge impact of the crisis on the flower supply chain; and Alison Tate’s (International Union Confederation) view of the huge negative impact on the livelihoods of people around the world. More than a health crisis, it is now a income, employment, economic and financial crisis. Given their advanced average age, small farmers are being disproportionately impacted by illness and death from Covid-19. However, the crisis is also an opportunity, as it has increased citizens’ consciousness of vulnerable supply chains, the roles of workers and small farmers, and the need to rethink how we produce and consume.The FTAO is a joint initiative of Fairtrade International, the World Fair Trade Organization and the World Fair Trade Organization-Europe. It speaks out on behalf of the Fair Trade Movement for Fair Trade and Trade Justice with the aim of improving the livelihoods of marginalised producers and workers in the South.
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What do ACP producers and exporters need most urgently? First survey results
Through an online survey, COLEACP has been asking what support is most urgently needed by the ACP fruit and vegetable sector during the current crisis. Preliminary results from 87 contributors are analysed below. Respondents were asked to prioritise the three most urgent areas where support is needed. Access to finance was clearly regarded as the most urgent area (77.0% of respondents placed this in their top three issues), followed by hygiene and food safety practices (69.0%). Support for storage/processing, logistics solutions, diversifying markets, and crisis management were all regarded as among the most urgent areas.Finance Finding solutions for access to finance was important to the majority of survey respondents (92.0%). The same number felt it will be important to disseminate testimonials to raise awareness among the general public and decision-makers about the risks facing the sector in terms of job losses and reduced income for producers (however, when asked to prioritise, only 5.7% placed this in their top three).Good hygiene and food safety practices Asked about information on good hygiene and food safety practices in relation to the coronavirus, almost all respondents (96.6%) wanted dissemination of this information. Almost equal numbers wanted a simple handout to print and distribute (e.g. within the company or packhouses) (88.5%); an information session to deliver to employees and workers (online, written materials, etc.) (88.5%); and an information session to deliver to outgrowers (87.4%). Giving more detail on the types of information and training materials, respondents suggested “A simple handout that can be printed and distributed on signs and symptoms, how it is caught and how to protect yourself, and procedure if one has it, what to do, what manager should tell the workers”; and “There is a need for lots of pictograms on hygiene issues”. Illustrative videos of how to protect yourself against COVID-19 were also suggested. Regarding the delivery of information, suggestions included training on the use of e-learning tools; and the ability to use COLEACP e-learning on android phones to reach producers without internet access. Longer-term views on health and safety included “Strengthening the capacity of the plant’s HSE department in terms of workforce and skills”, and “We need to promote home garden and online means to deliver goods”. Respondents also mentioned specific practical equipment that is difficult to access: PPE and disinfectant for workers and outgrowers; infra-red thermometers for daily temperature checking; masks, gloves, sanitising gel and dispensers; and also computer equipment to print out handouts for workers.Logistics On getting produce to markets, most respondents (81.6%) were interested in information on local transportation. Very similar numbers wanted logistics solutions for air freight (59.8%) and sea freight (57.5%).Management Asked about advice on crisis management, the vast majority of respondents wanted advice on crisis communication (92.0%). Financial management and human resources management were also important to most respondents (87.4% for both). In addition, respondents suggested (among others) advice on environmental management; help to become organically certified as organic foods are perceived to be healthier and boost immunity; assistance with spot marketing to enable distribution of supplies; and help in searching for better markets. Other requests included assistance in setting up an outgrower system for easy management, tracking and monitoring; contingency planning; management of new agricultural techniques; and reorganising workspaces taking into account the COVID-19 recommended arrangements. Stress management, and motivation of trainers, sensitisers, supervisors and extension workers, were also raised.Storage/processing Asked about support to improve storage/processing of fresh produce, respondents focused mainly on mangoes, pineapples, leafy vegetables and salad vegetables such as tomatoes, herbs and spices (turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, moringa), in addition to a wide range of fruits and vegetables. On the question of what equipment is urgently needed to improve storage/processing of fresh produce, the majority of respondents focused on refrigeration equipment (cold storage rooms, pre cooling and cold transport, mobile cold stores, refrigerated trucks, etc.), and curing and drying equipment (especially solar driers) and related solar panels and generators. Aluminium bags for herbs and spices were also requested, as was smoking equipment. Other items noted included the need to expand seedling production; seeds, plant protection products and fertilisers; control of alteration indices (water content, organoleptic, vitamins) with portable devices; and modern juice and wine production equipment. Reflecting a range of different types and sizes of businesses, respondents’ estimates of the immediate investment need to improve storage/processing varied. The majority (35.8%) suggested they would need investment of €10,000–50,000; 11.9% were in the €50,000–100,000 bracket; and 26.9% over €100,000. 25.4% felt that an investment of under €10,000 would be helpful to them. 88.5% of respondents would be interested in support to diversify markets, particularly at the local level.Other suggestions Respondents were also asked about additional actions that should be taken. Many reiterated that they needed help with staff health and safety. Many suggestions also focused on identifying alternative or additional markets, particularly local and regional markets – “provide information on the fruit needs of neighbouring countries and potential customers” – and on the wider needs that are likely to arise in the near future:“In view of the foreseeable world food crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is appropriate for States and multilateral partners to invest in the improvement of agricultural techniques in order to increase yields.”“Now produce enough fruit and vegetables to fight hunger. So that the local, regional and European market is always supplied with fresh fruit and vegetables.”“Inform on the opportunities that could arise from this crisis for producers and exporters.”
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COLEACP’s short-term priority – to improve the resilience of ACP MSMEs
Agri-food MSMEs in ACP countries are particularly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. On top of the health threat it poses to workers and stakeholders along their value chains, the pandemic is highlighting the vulnerability of agri-food supply chains to trade disruption on national, regional and international levels, especially for short shelf-life goods such as fresh produce. MSMEs are already vulnerable due to very limited cash flow reserves, and even a temporary disruption can lead to job losses and declining revenues for small-scale producers that will have severe knock-on effects in terms of poverty alleviation, food security and nutrition in ACP countries.COLEACP’s priority in the short term is to increase the resilience of ACP MSMEs so they can protect the health and safety of employees, workers, producers and their communities; safeguard livelihoods; and contribute to food security and nutrition. At the national level this involves working through the private sector, for example via farmer organisations and industry associations, and by establishing business-led COVID-19 taskforces to identify priorities and combine the public and private resources needed to address them.Building on current activities under its two Fit For Market programmes, COLEACP is focusing on: Keeping the ACP and EU agri-food industry up to date on trade and market dynamics. Sensitising and training the ACP agri-food industry on COVID-19 preventive measures to protect the health and safety of workers, employees, producers and their communities. Supporting the ACP agri-food industry to develop contingency plans for cashflow management and access to working capital; staff retention and reorganisation; market access (matching supply to demand with regard to logistics, diversifying from export to local/regional markets and from fresh to processed); and operations relating to preventive measures at public and private sector levels, and interactions with customs and border controls. Advocating on behalf of the ACP agri-food industry towards governments, international institutions and financial intermediaries to facilitate short-term contingency plans; ensure consistency of measures across EU and ACP countries to avoid trade and market distortions; and strengthen national and regional food production and distribution systems in the medium term throughout ACP countries.
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UK – new flexibility on import certifications
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced the following measures to ease trade flows. Certificate of Organic Inspection (COI): Defra has agreed to accept electronic certificates of inspection produced in the online management tool TRACES NT for organic products, in line with EU provisions. Original documents need to be shown to Port Health Authorities once available. Phytosanitary certificates: The UK is aligned with the European Union in terms of acceptance of digital copies. Other customs certification: HM Revenue & Customs has confirmed flexibility regarding customs documentation. Marketing Standards – Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate (HMI) checks: Temporary measures have been introduced for border inspections of consignments from countries with Approved Inspection Service (AIS) agreements, including Senegal and Kenya. Consignments from these countries will continue to clear Customs without delay with regard to marketing standards requirements, and the small percentage of post-clearance checks have been temporarily suspended. Note that requirements for border checks from non-AIS countries are unchanged.