The East African Community (EAC) has initiated a campaign to raise awareness about the agricultural export trade opportunities created through the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP), with the aim of expanding regional exports.
The campaign was launched in Arusha, Tanzania, on June 14 and will provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agricultural value chain, cooperatives, farmers, and government entities in the EAC with access to information and tools for agri-export trade, as revealed in a press release by the regional body.
ALSO READ: Rwanda’s annual agric export revenues reach Rwf860bn
Flavia Busingye, the Acting Director of Trade at the EAC, highlighted the numerous trade opportunities MARKUP has created for agri-SMEs in the region. She emphasized that the campaign, titled "MARKUP: Growing Agri Export Markets," aims to promote awareness of the potential in agricultural trade and demonstrate that international markets are within reach for East African exporters.
Busingye mentioned the $100 billion coffee sector and the emerging horticultural export market, particularly for avocados, as examples of the existing market demand.
ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s plan to make avocado a major export crop
The EAC official acknowledged the resources MARKUP has generated for the growth of agri-exports since its establishment in 2018. These include the EAC Quality Portal, the Financing Gateway, and the Burundi Trade Information Portal, which have been implemented in five EAC countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Busingye also identified challenges faced by SMEs in the agriculture sector, such as limited access to market information, including standards and quality requirements, cumbersome customs procedures, and inadequate connectivity.
She urged active participation in the campaign through various channels and platforms, emphasizing MARKUP&039;s contribution to strengthening quality infrastructure in the region. Flavia highlighted the harmonization of standards and frameworks for intra-regional trade in food products, which have facilitated progress.
Jose-Luis Gonzalez, the Programme Officer at the European Union Delegation in Tanzania and EAC, shared encouraging results achieved through the program. For instance, in Kenya, the number of steps required to export coffee was reduced from 88 to 58, and in Tanzania, it decreased from 40 to 31. He emphasized the importance of trust and informed dialogue between the public and private sectors in achieving such improvements. With MARKUP's support, there has been a notable increase in the export of coffee, spices, and avocados from the EAC to the EU.
"The EU remains a leading export partner to the EAC," Gonzalez emphasized. He highlighted that according to Eurostat, the EAC exported agri-food products worth €2.16 billion to the EU in 2022, a 26.2% increase from the previous year. Coffee, tea, cocoa, and spices accounted for 44.5% of all EAC agri-food exports to the EU in 2022, followed by horticulture at 24.5%.
Max Middeke, the Deputy Programme Manager at German Development Cooperation (GIZ) - EAC Programme, said that since 2018, MARKUP has reached over 30,000 farmers, businesspersons, experts, and policymakers in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania.
The program has facilitated 500 SMEs in engaging with buyers through trade fairs and networking events. Additionally, over 180 SMEs and cooperatives have received equipment such as coffee pulping machines, fruit processing equipment, and moisture meters to enhance the quality of their products.
According to EAC data, coffee and avocado exports within and outside the EAC have seen significant growth during the four years of MARKUP. Coffee exports from the EAC to the EU have increased by 35%, while avocado exports have grown by 7% between 2018 and 2022.