Browsing: horticulture

Moth (FAO)

Kenya fights to retain EU spot amid moth infestation

Agribusiness

The Kenyan government and agricultural industry are launching an urgent offensive against a moth that has infested 70 types of crops, from roses to citrus fruits and capsicums, prompting a surge in Kenyan export rejections by the European Union, and an EU review that could now see a growing proportion of the country’s flower and horticultural trade fail.

The EU defines the False Coddling Moth (FCM) as a quarantine pest, meaning that fresh produce containing the moth cannot be allowed into the European market. However, random checks of fresh imports from Kenya have found increasing numbers to be FCM-infested, with rose exports, in particular, driving a sharp increase in rejected consignments.

As a result, the EU, which in January 2018 began checking one in every 20 rose consignments from Kenya for infestation by the moth, last year lifted that checking rate to one in every 10 consignments. This year’s review …

C-19, Obituary of flowers: An industry in peril

Agribusiness

The grasp of the Coronavirus has been unrelenting; like the grim reaper, it continues its deadly march around the economies of the world, sucking the soul of one sector after another, leaving a trail of death and destruction.  

The flower industry has not been left unscathed, being one of the hardest hit sectors. Plummeting revenues have been the plight of flower farmers, who have been disposing of blooms meant for export that have been wilting by the day. Covid-19 has upended the flower industry and crushed consumer demand in the international market, incurring a net-loss of well over Ksh.8 billion (US$74.7 million) in just a month, with daily losses reported to be amounting to Ksh.20 million (US$187.0 thousand). Direct sale orders have plunged to below 35%, placing the livelihoods of both the 150,000 direct dependents and across the value chain, to the over four million, who indirectly

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How Tanzania plans to boost horticulture exports

Agribusiness

Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture has begun cementing its foothold on horticulture activities across Tanzania.

The ministry has just concluded a meeting with horticultural farmers and products exporters, to address taxing and policy drawbacks related to the sub-sector.

The meeting catapulted rather vital issues for the development of the sector, particularly converging Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) players, but also, gave a path to the possibility of ushering a three-year plan that will be associated with a special managing body.

According to the ministry, the meeting attracted vital players from crucial ministries, including—finance and planning, industry and trade, ports authority and farmers.

Speaking at the meeting, the Deputy Ministry of Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, stressed that the meeting root agenda was to highlight various challenges affecting the sub-sector and respective measures to address them.

Per Tanzania’s National Bureau of Statistics, second-quarter report—the agricultural sector growth rate stood at …

Interview: Hadija Jabiri, Tanzania’s horticulture rising star

Agribusiness

It has been such a pleasure to meet and interview Hadija Jabiri, founder of GBRI (EatFresh Tanzania). I have discovered a very humble, strong and resilient lady who, I’m sure, will arrive much further than where she has already arrived. Thank you, Hadija: the conversation with you has inspired me in many ways.

Why did you choose the horticulture sector and how did your business start?

I never thought to start a farming business: I have always looked at farming life like something not attractive and none in my family is engaging in agriculture. I just decided to get into it because I realized it would have brought back a good return on the investment: someone can decide whether to buy or not a t-shirt, but he/she will definitely need to eat. So let’s say that my main driver was money, but if I have to describe how …