Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Andrew M. Karanja has issued an official gazette notice designating mung beans (Vigna radiata), locally known as ‘ndengu,’ and cocoyams (Colocasia esculenta) as scheduled crops. The declaration was published through Gazette Notice No. 14818 on November 15, 2024.
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Registration and Compliance Requirements
The new regulations introduce requirements for stakeholders involved in the mung bean industry.
“Mung Bean and Cocoyam shall be developed and regulated in accordance with the provisions of the Agriculture and Food Authority Act, 2013, the Crops Act, 2013 and the Crops (Food Crops) Regulations, 2019,” the gazette notice states.
Under these provisions, all growers, associations, and traders must now officially register their operations.
Key Regulatory Measures
Production and Trade Controls
- Mandatory registration of all mung bean growers and associations
- Certification requirements for processing facilities
- Warehouse and market registration protocols
- Strict control over import and export permits
Quality and Safety Standards
The government will implement oversight measures including:
- Quality control standards for production
- Transportation guidelines
- Storage requirements
- Processing protocols
Data Management and Market Intelligence
The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) will establish a centralized database system to track:
- Production volumes
- Price fluctuations
- Trade patterns
- Market trends
Additional Crop Declarations
The gazette notice also extends to other agricultural commodities:
- Cocoa (Theobroma cocoa) has been designated as a scheduled crop
- Jute (Corchorus olitorius and Corchorus capsularis) receives similar classification
Both crops fall under Part 3 of the First Schedule of the Crops Act.
Previous Parliamentary Actions
The announcement comes in the wake of earlier legislative attempts to regulate the mung bean industry. The National Assembly previously rejected the Mung Beans Bill 2022, co-sponsored by Mwingi North MP Paul Nzengu of the Wiper Party.
The bill, originally introduced by Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, aimed to establish a regulatory framework for the mung bean industry.
