Food Business Africa

UK dishes out US$21m funding to Kenya for establishment of digital trade corridor

Jul 29, 2021Jul 29, 2021 Editor

KENYA – Kenyan horticultural producers are set to access the British market more efficiently and cheaply, following the set-up of a digital customs system in the East African economy. During the recent visit to the UK by the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenyan-based non-profit making organisation TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), and the UK-based Institute of Export and International Trade ((IOE&IT), signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) providing a framework for collaboration in the implementation of a digital trade corridor between the two nations. To be delivered by TMEA and…

AgDevCo expands portfolio to develop banana industry in Mozambique

Jul 28, 2021Jul 28, 2021 Editor

MOZAMBIQUE – Social impact investor AgDevCo has announced its latest investment in Mozambique’s agribusiness sector. The UK-based social impact investor has closed a US$3 million debt investment in Quinta da Bela Vista Limitada (QBV), an irrigated banana estate located in the Boane area in Mozambique. QBV was established in 2016 as a joint venture between Silverstreet Capital’s Silverlands I Fund and Crookes Brothers Limited and currently comprises 128ha of irrigated bananas. The company’s strategy is to expand the operation to 260ha over the next two years. “AgDevCo’s funding of QBV…

Dole Foods expands into functional foods, targets US$2.1B valuation in IPO

Jul 25, 2021Jul 26, 2021 Editor

US – Dole Packaged Foods has expanded into the increasingly popular functional food products category with the launch of Dole Fruitify juices and Dole Essentials fruit bowls. Fruitify with 65% juice and less than 100 calories per can has three varieties that combine pineapple juice with ingredients such as turmeric, green tea extract and coconut water. Dole Essentials fruit bowls are, on the other hand, available in three varieties that mix chunks of pineapple, mandarin oranges, or mixed fruit in 100% fruit juice with ingredients such as cucumber and mint, turmeric, and green tea extract. Both Dole Fruitify juices and Essentials fruit bowls have no added sugar, helping…

Lamb Weston invests US$415m in expanding US facility to meet rising demand

Jul 23, 2021Jul 26, 2021 Editor

US – Lamb Weston, one of the world’s largest producers and processors of frozen french fries, is investing US$415 million into the expansion of its facility in American Falls, Idaho. Expansion works include the construction of a new processing line with capacity to produce more than 350 million pounds of frozen french fries and other potato products each year. Work will also be undertaken to modernise the facility, which was built in 1961, enabling it to accommodate the new line which is expected to be ready by mid-2023, and more than 130 additional staff. The announcement follows news that Lamb Weston…

Kenyan integrated food producer SimpliFine taps into fast growing frozen food, ready-to-cook segment

Jul 22, 2021Jul 22, 2021 Editor

KENYA – SimpliFine, a food production company offering accessible, locally sourced meat, vegetables, baked goods and other foods to restaurants, hotels, and retailers across East Africa, is set for a rapid expansion in the Kenyan market. This follows the acquisition of Alpha Fine Foods, a Kenyan producer of premium meat products, by its parent company BlackIvy. As part of its endeavours of expanding its market share in the country, SimpliFine is launching 19 new meat and vegetarian products. These include frozen meats, prepared meal accompaniments and a range of ready-to-cook…

Lucrative citrus industry in South Africa calls for increased efficiency on back of expected rising exports

Jul 21, 2021Jul 21, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – The South African citrus industry expects to break all export season records, with an estimated 158.7 million cartons this year. If this estimate was reached, it would represent a third consecutive season of record export volumes, with 130 million cartons exported in 2019 and 146 million cartons last year. This is according to projections by the Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa (CGA), indicating a 22 percent growth in exports in just two years. Medium-term crop estimates indicate that the citrus industry is expected to continue increasing…

Kenya’s county government mitigates post-harvest losses with launch of fruit processing plant

Jul 15, 2021Jul 15, 2021 Editor

KENYA – Kitui County in Eastern Kenya has kick-started operations at the newly build Ksh. 20 million (US$185,000) fruit processing plant located at the Kitui Agricultural Training Centre. The processing facility, with a production capacity of 5 tons per hour, is aimed to add value to fresh produces such as tomatoes and mangoes which are highly perishable, reports Kenya News Agency. While commissioning the factory, Kitui County Governor Charity Ngilu, indicated that the huge losses the farmers in the region have been encountering over the years, will be a thing…

Kenya’s horticulture sector registers decline in export earnings despite rise in volume

Jul 13, 2021Jul 13, 2021 Editor

KENYA – Kenya’s horticulture sector exhibited exemplary performance in the first half of the year in terms of volumes, but value dropped by Kshs. 6.3 billion (US$58.3m) due to suppressed prices at the international market. Volume of fruits, vegetable and flowers between January and June 2021, stood at 191,210,134 kgs, a rise from 160,931,659 kilogrammes traded in the previous corresponding period, earning Ksh77.2 billion (US$714m) from Ksh83.5 billion (US$773m) in 2020. The volume increased by 30,278,475 Kg, according to the Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD), mainly from fruits and vegetables. During…

South Africa enters lucrative Chinese lemon market expanding bullish citrus sector

Jun 23, 2021Jun 23, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa has signed a new protocol agreement with China which opens the door for South African lemon exports to the Asian market. The deal follows a request submitted by South Africa to exempt lemons from the current regulatory requirements for false codling moth (FCM) in light of the category not being a host for the pest. According to report by IOL, the revised citrus protocol was six years in the making and is forecasted to add another R325m (US$22m) in new export revenue to the South…

Ghanaian horticulture exporter Maphlix Trust receives financing from Impact investor AV Ventures

Jun 17, 2021Jun 17, 2021 Editor

GHANA – Maphlix Trust Ghana Limited, a leading producer and exporter of fresh vegetables, roots, tubers, and fruits in Ghana, has clinched a US$700,000 long-term loan from ACDI/VOCA’s financing arm AV Ventures. ACDI/VOCA is U.S. Government’s implementing partner and responds to non-USG official development assistance (ODA) and host country government opportunities, to foster broad-based economic growth, raise living standards, and create vibrant communities. The financing will enable Maphlix acquire new farming equipment that will mechanize production activities, as part of efforts to modernize production for enhanced operational efficiencies. It will…