Reducing border delays: EAC moves to harmonise crop pest inspections across region
The move is expected to reduce border delays, improve transparency and simplify regional trade among member states, while making the agricultural market safer, more predictable and better integrated
KAMPALA, June 14, 2026 – The East African Community [EAC] is set to adopt a harmonised pest risk assessment framework and standard operating procedures [SOPs] for key agricultural crops produced and traded across the region.
The move is expected to reduce border delays, improve transparency and simplify regional trade among member states, while making the agricultural market safer, more predictable and better integrated.
The decision follows a meeting of a multidisciplinary technical working group comprising representatives from all EAC partner states, which developed the new Pest Risk Analysis [PRA] framework and SOPs for commodities including groundnuts, avocados, soybeans and other food products traded within the region.
The framework is intended to eliminate inconsistencies in phytosanitary inspections at border points across member states, which have remained a persistent barrier to intra-East African trade.
Speaking recently to this reporter recently, the Coordinator of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme [CAADP], David Wafula, said the initiative strikes the right balance between facilitating commerce and safeguarding agricultural production.
“The goal was to develop harmonised Pest Risk Analysis procedures that can be applied during inspections at border points, particularly at one-stop border posts, so that plant inspectors use the same tools when clearing consignments moving from one country to another,” he said.
More than 65 per cent of trade among EAC member states comprises agricultural commodities ranging from fresh produce and cereals to poultry products, fish and other dry food products widely consumed across the region.
Although the EAC operates as a common market, plant health and inspection procedures vary from one country to another, leading to repeated inspections, uncertainty for exporters and costly delays that are particularly damaging for traders dealing in perishable goods.
The challenge has been especially evident at major border points, including Namanga between Kenya and Tanzania, Mpondwe between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Busia between Uganda and Kenya.
“At the Namanga border, for example, about 350 trucks cross daily. Because there are currently no harmonised inspection procedures, a truck can remain at the border for an entire day. With harmonised procedures, we expect this to reduce to around two hours,” Wafula said.
For exporters of avocados, pineapples, sukuma wiki and other perishable produce, such improvements could translate into lower transport costs, reduced spoilage and greater competitiveness in regional markets.
Meanwhile, scientists across the bloc view the growth of regional trade without a harmonised phytosanitary framework as creating opportunities for pests and diseases to spread across borders.
“As much as we want to facilitate free trade, we do not want situations where harmful pests are transferred from one country to another. We want trade that is safe and protects our agricultural economies and environments,” said Ephrance Tumuboine, Uganda’s Assistant Commissioner for Phytosanitary and Quarantine Services.
Tumuboine, who also chairs the regional technical working group, said the exercise has required expertise far beyond routine border inspections.
“We have experts in entomology, plant pathology and virology working together. During validation, we bring together these specialists alongside policy experts because once the technical work is completed, it must be translated into policy that can be implemented.”
The technical working group assessed various pests and diseases, including viruses, insects and fungal threats, to support the creation of a more coordinated and effective system for pest prevention and management across the region.
The initiative is also expected to improve transparency in agricultural trade by reducing discretionary decision-making at border points.
Once harmonised requirements are published and made accessible online, exporters will know exactly what is required before their consignments reach border posts. This is expected to reduce unnecessary interaction with inspectors, limit opportunities for exploitation, improve trade flows and strengthen food security.
The development of the SOPs and PRA framework was facilitated by the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa [ASARECA], which provided scientific support and evidence.
ASARECA Executive Director Sylvester Dickson Baguma said the initiative is critical in laying the foundation for more predictable agricultural trade while strengthening pest management and enforcement of phytosanitary standards in cross-border commerce.
“By establishing unified and practical inspection guidelines, we are helping reduce phytosanitary trade barriers, prevent the spread of transboundary pests and diseases, and facilitate seamless cross-border trade,” Baguma said.
The procedures developed will serve as reference tools for inspectors at border points to ensure trade remains safe while preventing economic losses and environmental damage caused by harmful pests.
Beyond the EAC, the reforms could also strengthen the region’s readiness for broader continental trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
For EAC member states, where agriculture remains the backbone of livelihoods and intra-regional commerce, the framework is expected to play an important role in easing border crossings and supporting regional integration.
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