Category: Fruits & Vegetables

InspiraFarms, Ifria partner to develop farm to market cold chain solutions in West and North Africa

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AFRICA – African providers of cold storage solutions, Ifria Cold Chain Development Company and InspiraFarms, have entered into a regional strategic partnership to bring together deep knowledge in the cold chain business, technology development as well as economic and financial deployment skills in African countries. The partnership leverages on Ifria’s cold chain logistics expertise together with InspiraFarms’ next-generation on-farm cold chain & food handling technology and solutions. Ifria is an integrated cold chain development company operating in franchise, license, or directly- cold chain logistics assets, ranging from added value cold storage/logistic warehouses…

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Mozambique’s Bananalândia Group eyes bigger banana export market, opening US$20m processing unit

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MOZAMBIQUE – Bananalândia Group, a major producer and exporter of bananas in Mozambique has inaugurated its new US$20 million production and processing unit in Maputo province, South of the country. The new unit according to Club of Mozambique, uses modern equipment to plant banana palms and occupies an area of 900 hectares. It currently employs 1,000 workers, with an annual production capacity of 3.5 million boxes for export, reinforcing Mozambique’s lead position in the regional banana market. Over the last decade, much has been done to make the country a…

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Sensient Natural Ingredients, Taylor Farms expand North American operations with new acquisitions

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NORTH AMERICA – Sensient Natural Ingredients and US producer of salads and fresh foods Tailor Farms have made new acquisitions to expand their capacities in North America. On its part, Sensient Natural Ingredients announced that it has completed its purchase of New Mexico Chili Products, a dehydrated chilli production facility in the US. Located in Deming, New Mexico, the facility processes capsicums and a variety of specialty chillies for CPG food manufacturers, spice blenders and foodservice customers. The new asset is a great addition to the company which already processes…

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Morocco records rise in fruits, vegetable exports to UK by 51% in January post Brexit

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MOROCCO – Moroccan exports of fruit and vegetables to the United Kingdom have grown exponentially, following the Union’s withdrawal from the EU on December 31, 2020. Ever since the result of the Brexit referendum, the UK government has been looking to expand its diplomatic and economic relationships. One facet of this has materialized through the UK’s imports of fruit and vegetables, as it looks to decrease its reliance on EU member states. As part of the UK’s renewed efforts to consolidate new partnerships following Brexit, Poole Harbour Commissioners announced a…

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Zambia to commence operations at US$8.8m tropical fruit processing plant

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ZAMBIA – The Zambian Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is set to inaugurate the K160 million (US$8.8m) Katete Tropical Fruit processing plant in May this year. This was revealed by Katete District Commissioner (DC), Joseph Makukula disclosing that the factory’s equipment sourced from India are in transit and will be soon installed in readiness for commencement of operation. Located at the mango-rich region, the facility is aimed to curb wastage of fruits by providing a ready market for farmers, to produce fruit pulp and juices. Once operational, it will create 200…

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Kenya launches digital platform to automate agricultural service delivery

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KENYA – Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives has launched the AFA Integrated Management Information System (AFA-IMIS) that automates its service delivery and business processes. The online system developed by Agriculture and Food Authority of Kenya (AFA) with US$1.37 million funding from Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) through TradeMark East Africa was launched by Kenya’s Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya. The platform aims at providing efficient and transparent service to farmers and its stakeholders by reducing both the time and cost of acquiring services or products from the…

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Kenyan mangoes to re-enter European market after almost a decade long ban

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KENYA – Kenya is set to resume export of mangoes to the lucrative multi-billion European market after an eight-year hiatus following a self-imposed suspension. The ban was as a result of the fruit flies menace which was first discovered in the country in 2003 from Sri Lanka. The emergence of the fruit fly in Kenya led to numerous interceptions of mango consignments by the EU authority between 2010 and 2014. As a result, Kenya imposed a temporary self-export ban to protect the market and institute acceptable pest management measures. The…

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Rwanda receives green-light to export unprocessed dry chilli to China

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RWANDA – Rwanda has assented a protocol for the export of dried chilli to China, giving it access to the Asian market. The agreement was inked between the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources of Rwanda and the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, certifying that the quality of Rwanda’s dry chilli meets the standards required by China. Prior to the signing of the protocol, Rwandan companies were only exporting chili in other forms i.e., oil and paste, but not dried chilli. China’s e-commerce platform, Alibaba…

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Terra Chips to cost 150% less in India following Future Group’s plan to have them locally made

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INDIA – Popular US chips brand Terra Chips may soon cost up to 150% less in India following plans by Future Group to have them locally made. Currently, an imported Terra packet of 200 grams costs Rs 410 and Future Consumer plans to bring the prices down through local production and also plans to introduce smaller packs to make them more accessible in the country. The gourmet Terra chips come in colorful textures of yellow, white, blue, and red and are made from potatoes, yucca, taro, sweet potatoes, parsnip, and…

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Banana exports from Cameroon rise by 13.2% YoY attributed to bullish performance by all main exporters

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CAMEROON – Cameroon exported 17,258 tons of bananas in February 2021, a 13.28% year-on-year rise from the 14,965 tons exported in February 2020. According to data compiled by the Banana Association of Cameroon (Assobacam), the increase in exports was spurred by the commendable performance by all the three main market players. Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP), a local subsidiary of the French group Compagnie fruitière de Marseille exported 14,233 tons of bananas, a rise from 13,847 tons registered the previous year, representing a 2.71% jump. Over the same period, state-owned…

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