Kenya exports omena to China

Kenya has added omena to the list of products the country exports to China after exporting the first 52- tonnes of ‘omena’ to China.

Kenyan officials have hailed the historic consignment for injecting fresh vitality into the local blue economy. The move follows a bilateral agreement signed between the two countries in January 2022, a move that is meant to benefit citizens of both countries.

While omena is the popular name locally, the small fish are known as anchovies or Silver Cyprinid.

In a statement, the China Director-General of the Department of African Affairs, MFA, Wu Peng said the move benefits citizens of both countries.

“Glad to see the first 52-tonne shipment of Kenyan omena exported to China has been delivered recently. More is on the way. The FOCAC #Green Channel for African agricultural exports to China is bringing tangible benefits to African and Chinese people,” Wu said.

The first batch of Kenyan wild anchovy products made their debut at the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in late June

Jinzai Food Group, a Hunan-based snack company that purchased the anchovies, said the fish will be made into a popular Hunan-flavored snack at its Kenyan factory. The company has built a factory in Kwame for processing, drying and packaging the omena before they set off for the Chinese market.

Omena is used in a variety of dishes in China, from stir-fries to street snacks and salads to heartier meals such as achovy fried rice.

According to Mr. Zhi Yong Liu, the Executive Director of the company, the final product is supplied locally in China and sold in over 30 countries worldwide fetching profits of over Sh120 billion.

In Kenya, the value-added anchovies are sold at selected supermarkets at an average price of Sh900 per packet.