East Africa’s horticulture sector will next week launch a regional council, even as industry players and governments seek solutions to trade and logistics challenges that continue to raise costs and delay movement of fresh produce to markets.
The Horticulture Council of Eastern Africa (HoCEA) will be formally launched during a two-day Regional Public-Private Dialogue on Horticultural Logistics and Trade Facilitation in Nairobi.
The private-sector-led council brings together national horticulture associations across the region and is expected to provide a common platform for the industry to engage governments and regional institutions on issues affecting competitiveness, market access, and trade.
In a press statement Wednesday, HoCEA interim chair Dr. Jacqueline Mkindi, who is also Chief Executive Officer of the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA), said producers and exporters were facing several bottlenecks that were increasing the cost of moving horticultural products.
She cited high freight costs, inadequate cold-chain infrastructure, weak first-mile aggregation systems, fragmented digital trade processes, and delays at ports and border points.
Other challenges include inconsistent sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and certification procedures as well as limited use of opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The organizers, being supported by TradeMark Africa, said the challenges affect not only large exporters but also smallholder farmers, women and youth, small and medium-sized enterprises, logistics providers, and national horticulture associations.
The Nairobi meeting will focus on four areas: trade logistics and cold-chain systems, digital trade and smart corridors, SPS measures and non-tariff barriers, and access to AfCFTA markets.
Stakeholders are expected to assess infrastructure, transport, and cold-chain requirements for moving time-sensitive produce while examining how digital systems can reduce transaction costs and improve cross-border trade.
They will also consider ways of making certification and SPS processes more efficient without compromising standards required to protect consumers, plants, and markets.
The discussions are expected to result in a Nairobi Communiqué outlining priority actions, responsible institutions and proposed timelines, followed by the formal launch of HoCEA and discussions on its immediate priorities and a 90-day action plan.
Dr. Mkindi said stronger cooperation was needed to address challenges that individual businesses or countries could not resolve on their own.
The horticulture sector is a major contributor to employment, export earnings, food systems, and private-sector growth in Eastern Africa, but producers and exporters continue to face costs and delays that affect the competitiveness of regional produce in domestic, African, and international markets.
The council will seek to strengthen coordination and collective advocacy by bringing together national associations and other stakeholders involved in the horticulture value chain.
By Wangari Ndirangu
