Les exportations horticoles du Kenya vers les marchés clés du Royaume-Uni et des Pays-Bas pourraient tripler si le pays mise sur la logistique du fret maritime en partenariat avec les deux pays. Le pays a signé un accord avec les deux marchés pour développer un corridor de logistique froide pour les produits kenyans. Ces accords faciliteront les investissements privés dans les infrastructures de logistique réfrigérée afin de soutenir le transport de produits frais par voie maritime. Ils porteront sur des aspects logistiques tels que les installations portuaires, les réseaux de transport et les cadres réglementaires. Le secrétaire du cabinet chargé des transports, Kipchumba Murkomen, a déclaré que le corridor de logistique froide visait à établir de nouvelles normes pour le transport de produits frais et, par conséquent, à stimuler le commerce bilatéral et à développer le secteur agricole kényan. "Un système logistique de fret maritime performant pour les denrées périssables pourrait doubler, voire tripler les exportations horticoles du Kenya, ce qui pourrait créer jusqu'à trois millions d'emplois dans les secteurs de l'horticulture et de l'agro-logistique", a déclaré le ministre des affaires étrangères lors de la signature de l'accord avec l'ambassadeur des Pays-Bas au Kenya, Maarten Brouwer. Cet accord intervient alors que le Kenya et l'UE s'apprêtent à ratifier un accord de partenariat économique approuvé par le Parlement européen au début du mois. L'UE est le deuxième partenaire commercial du Kenya et l'un de ses principaux marchés d'exportation, après l'Afrique. Près de la moitié des exportations de produits frais du Kenya,...

L'Éthiopie étudie la possibilité d'utiliser le port de Lamu pour importer des engrais dans le cadre d'un effort visant à étendre ses destinations portuaires au-delà de Djibouti, pays qui traite la majeure partie de son fret. Bien que l'idée d'utiliser le port de Lamu ait été proposée il y a plusieurs années, elle n'a pas été utilisée jusqu'à présent. Une délégation éthiopienne a effectué une mission d'enquête sur les ports de Lamu et de Mombasa et a bon espoir de parvenir à un accord avec le Kenya. Le ministre d'État du ministère des transports et de la logistique, Denge Boru, a déclaré : "La délégation a visité le port et l'état des routes jusqu'à Moyale, afin de déterminer si elles sont adaptées à l'opération." Pour assurer une opération sans faille, divers documents et accords entre les deux pays devront être complétés avant que le service ne soit lancé via Lamu. En raison des problèmes de sécurité en mer Rouge, le fret éthiopien est désormais acheminé via Mombasa, malgré les obstacles qui le séparent de Djibouti. Le catalyseur de ce changement provient des retards subis par les cargaisons entrantes et sortantes dans les ports de Djibouti, attribués au fait que les opérateurs de navires ont réduit leurs opérations le long de la route de la mer Rouge. Selon la proposition, le gouvernement a l'intention d'utiliser le port de Berbera au Somaliland comme substitut pour les importations de marchandises, principalement pour l'est et le sud-est du pays. À ce jour, le port...

Le Ghana et le Kenya, deux des économies émergentes de l'Afrique, ont fait des pas de géant pour consolider leurs relations commerciales alors qu'ils cherchent à mener la renaissance économique de l'Afrique. La coopération commerciale bilatérale, initiée à l'initiative du président ghanéen Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, s'inscrit dans le cadre et les objectifs de l'accord sur la zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (AfCFTA). "Ce qui se fait ici est essentiel pour notre continent et pour la prospérité future de notre peuple", a déclaré le président, alors qu'il était rejoint par le président kenyan en visite, William Ruto, lors de la signature de plusieurs accords entre les deux pays, à l'occasion d'une cérémonie à Accra. Les protocoles d'accord ont été paraphés par le Centre de promotion des investissements du Ghana et l'Autorité kényane des investissements, l'Association des industries du Ghana et l'Association des fabricants du Kenya. Les autres parties sont la Chambre nationale de commerce et d'industrie du Ghana et la Chambre nationale de commerce et d'industrie du Kenya, ainsi que l'Institut ghanéen de gestion et d'administration publique. Le président Nana Akufo-Addo a déclaré que la communauté des affaires avait la responsabilité d'accroître le commerce intra-africain, en tirant parti des possibilités offertes par l'AfCFTA, des ressources financières du continent et des progrès technologiques. "Votre capacité à saisir les opportunités déterminera si nous allons de l'avant ou non, et si l'éradication de la pauvreté dans notre génération est possible en Afrique", a-t-il souligné. Le président Ruto, qui effectue une visite d'État au...

Le Conseil des céréales d'Afrique de l'Est (EAGC) et TradeMark Africa (TMA) ont lancé conjointement une initiative de trois ans intitulée "Renforcer la compétitivité des chaînes de valeur des aliments de base axés sur l'exportation en Afrique de l'Est". Cette initiative, qui fait partie du programme "Economic Reform and Recovery Activity (ERRA)" financé par l'USAID, a été lancée le 3 avril à Nairobi. Le projet vise à renforcer le commerce des céréales de base orienté vers l'exportation et sera mis en œuvre au Kenya, en Tanzanie et en Ouganda. Le Kenya est désigné comme marché de destination, tandis que la Tanzanie et l'Ouganda, qui bénéficient d'une production excédentaire, serviront de fournisseurs clés. Dans un contexte de volatilité et de déclin du commerce des denrées alimentaires, le projet s'attaquera à divers problèmes, notamment l'agrégation inadéquate, les pratiques commerciales informelles et l'intégration insuffisante des agriculteurs dans les circuits commerciaux officiels. Des problèmes tels que des installations de stockage inadéquates, une infrastructure de gestion de la qualité médiocre et un manque d'expertise en matière de traitement post-récolte aggravent la situation. En outre, il y a un manque d'informations sur les perspectives des marchés d'exportation, un accès limité aux services de gestion de la qualité et un financement inadéquat pour le développement du commerce et des infrastructures. Avec la participation de plus de soixante acteurs de la chaîne de valeur des céréales de base, le projet vise à atteindre de multiples objectifs. Le premier objectif est de renforcer les centres d'affaires céréaliers (G-Hubs) gérés...

Two of Africa’s emerging economies – Ghana and Kenya – have taken giant steps to consolidate trade relations as they seek to lead Africa’s economic renaissance. The bilateral trade cooperation, initiated at the instance of Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is being worked out within the purview and objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. “What is being done in this room today is critical for our continent and the future prosperity of our people,” the President said, as he was joined by visiting Kenyan President William Ruto to witness the signing of multiple pacts between the two countries, at a ceremony in Accra. The Memoranda of Understanding were initialed by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and the Kenyan Investment Authority, Association of Ghana Industries and Kenya Association of Manufacturers. The rest are the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration. President Nana Akufo-Addo said the business community had a responsibility to increase intra-African trade, leveraging the opportunities within AfCFTA, the continent’s financial resources and technological advancement. “Your ability to seize the opportunities that will determine whether or not we go forward, and that will determine whether or not the eradication of poverty in our generation is made possible in Africa,” he emphasised. The President assured that the leadership of the continent was focused on providing the requisite space and framework for African businesses to thrive. “We...

Accra, April 4, GNA – Dr William Samoei Ruto, the African Union (AU) Reform Champion and President of Kenya, has disclosed plans to ratify all financial institutions under the Union. The decision, he said, would create a strong financial architecture to provide the needed support to African businesses for the acceleration of intra-trade, commerce, and investment on the continent. President Ruto noted that the decision by the AU was to also ensure the speeding up of the achievement of the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. He was speaking during an engagement with captains of industry and financial sector players upon his reception at the AfCFTA Trade House by Mr Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat. The event was part of President Ruto’s three-day official working visit to Ghana. “I will be working with President Nana Akufo-Addo to ensure that all financial institutions under the AU are ratified, so that we can build the necessary financial ecosystem to support trade, investment and business in our continent,” he said. On some of the major challenges facing business people on the continent with respect to intra-African trade, President Ruto noted that the continent spent about US$5bn annually to deal with exchange rate issues. However, the AU Reform Champion expressed confidence that the setting up of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) would solve that challenge. He noted the introduction of the cross-border instant payment system for easing the pressures...

The Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) and TradeMark Africa (TMA) have jointly launched a three-year initiative dubbed "Strengthening Competitiveness in Export-Focused Staple Food Value Chains across East Africa." This initiative, part of the USAID-funded "Economic Reform and Recovery Activity (ERRA)" program, was launched on April 3rd in Nairobi. The project targets the enhancement of export-oriented staple grains trade and will be rolled out in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Kenya is earmarked as the destination market, while Tanzania and Uganda, boasting surplus production, will serve as key suppliers. Amidst the backdrop of volatility and decline in the food commodities trade, the project will address various challenges including inadequate aggregation, informal trading practices, and insufficient integration of farmers into formal trade channels. Issues such as inadequate storage facilities, subpar quality management infrastructure, and a lack of post-harvest handling expertise compound the situation. Moreover, there's a dearth of information on export market prospects, limited access to quality management services, and inadequate financing for trade and infrastructure development. With the participation of over sixty stakeholders from the staple grains value chain, the project aims to achieve multiple objectives. Foremost among them is the strengthening of farmer-operated grain business hubs (G-Hubs), leveraging technology to optimize grain production, quality, and trade. Additionally, the initiative seeks to bolster enterprise-level capacities and institutional mechanisms to elevate Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards and quality compliance, thereby fostering increased export-oriented grain trade. It also intends to establish and enhance an information hub to inform regional food balance sheets, influence national...

A consortium led by the Rotterdam School of Management and Docklab has recently been awarded a grant of nearly half a million euros. This grant will be used for a project focusing on the digitalization of AGF (Potatoes, Vegetables, and Fruit) chains between Kenya, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The project stands out for its end-to-end approach, meaning it integrates the entire chain, from production to consumption. It involves key players such as the Trademark Africa platform, developed by IOTA, and the British Institute for Export and International Trade. Dutch companies like CargoLedger and Annona, an impact fund active in West Africa, also play a crucial role in this consortium. Digitalization as the key to success The emphasis is on improving product quality and adhering to ESG standards (Environmental, Social, and Governance) within these chains. With the recent shift towards digitalization, this project offers a unique opportunity to accelerate this process. Key parts of the project include the digital transfer of ownership and the use of advanced digital solutions like the supply chain twin technology. These initiatives build on previous projects such as GEDAC and Spark! LivingLab. Wageningen University and Windesheim University of Applied Sciences will contribute their expertise in digitalization in AGF chains and modeling complex chains. The Port of Rotterdam and GroentenFruit Huis also support this project, focusing respectively on global Green & Digital corridors and promoting digital innovation within the AGF sector. The project promises not only a transformation in AGF chains but also sets an...

What you need to know: The East African Community (EAC) bloc has been urged to aggressively invest in import substitution industries (ISIs) to promote exports Increased exports through local manufacturing would additionally reduce existing trade gaps from soaring imports. These are among the recommendations made by a just concluded study which examined trade implications for the bloc under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. The study by the East African Business Council (EABC) urged the EAC member countries to complement ISIs by embracing various AfCFTA instruments. Those already operational include Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) but which is yet to be accessible to some partner states. Intensive investment in the EAC manufacturing sector would also enable the region to promote value addition and product diversification. The study revealed untapped trade potential between the EAC countries which, it says, needs to be leveraged following AfCFTA tariff liberalisation. It was found out that the EAC partner states import more from the rest of Africa than they export, creating a trade gap that presents an opportunity that needs to be addressed. “The business community in EA should focus their production on goods that EAC and the rest of Africa countries source from the rest of the world,” the report said. On average, 80 percent of EAC countries exports went to the rest of the world and consisted of mainly primary products. On the other hand, 81 percent of their (EAC states) imports came from the rest of the world...

In Summary The deals will facilitate private investment in cool-logistics infrastructure to support the transportation of fresh produce by sea. This will involve aspects of logistics such as port facilities, transportation networks and regulatory frameworks. Kenya's horticultural exports to key markets of UK and the Netherlands could triple as it goes big on sea freight logistics in partnership with the two countries. The country has signed a deal with both markets to develop a cool-logistics corridor for Kenya’s produces. The deals will facilitate private investment in cool-logistics infrastructure to support the transportation of fresh produce by sea. This will involve aspects of logistics such as port facilities, transportation networks and regulatory frameworks. Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, said the cool-logistics corridor aim to set new standards for transporting fresh produce and in turn boost bilateral trade and grow Kenya's agricultural sector. “A well-functioning sea freight logistics system for perishables could double or even triple Kenya's horticultural exports, and that could create up to three million jobs in the horticultural and agro-logistics industries,” the CS said, during the signing of the deal with Dutch Ambassador in Kenya, Maarten Brouwer. Nearly half of Kenya's fresh produce exports, mainly flowers go to the Netherlands, with avocado exports also increasing substantially in recent years. The value of exports to the Netherlands was Sh69.7 billion in 2022, Kenya Economic Survey 2023 indicates, up from Sh61.6 billion. Those to the UK however dropped to Sh44.5 billion from Sh49.4 billion the previous year. The deal comes at...