Kenyan mung bean farmers may soon face new regulatory requirements if the Mung Beans Bill 2022 is enacted into law.
The proposed legislation, aimed at fostering the growth and development of the mung bean industry, outlines a comprehensive framework for the registration and licensing of both growers and buyers of mung beans.
Under the Bill, every mung bean grower will be required to register with their respective county executive committee (CEC) member in charge of agriculture.
Each CEC member will maintain a detailed register of all mung bean growers within their county, including;
key information such as the grower’s name, the location, size, and parcel number of the land used for cultivation, and the variety of mung bean grown.
The Bill also stipulates that buyers, processors, and traders of mung beans and mung bean products must obtain a license from the county government before engaging in large-scale trade or processing.
Failure to comply with these regulations could result in significant penalties, including fines of up to one million shillings or imprisonment for up to two years, or both.
In addition, each county executive committee will be responsible for setting up a county licensing committee, which will consist of a chairperson, a representative of mung bean growers, and three public officers with agricultural expertise.
If the Bill is passed, county governments will be tasked with enacting specific legislation to outline the registration requirements for mung bean farmers.
This move is expected to bring greater structure and oversight to the mung bean sector, potentially boosting its development and ensuring better regulation of the industry.
