PUBLISHER: Fresh Plaza (www.freshplaza.com)
The East African Community has come up with a strategic plan to double its fruit and vegetable exports to $900 million in the next eight years. In the 2021-2031 strategic plan that was unveiled late last year. The region intends to increase the area under fruit production by five percent, to 10 million hectares, with an eye on the global export market.
If implemented, the intra-EAC trade in fruit and vegetable products would increase from the current $9.9 million to $25 million by 2031. The region also plans to increase vegetable production by five percent of area cultivated, to 45 million hectares from 32.8 million hectares, with productivity increasing by at least three percent.