East African horticulture players are pushing for removal of trade barriers and harmonisation of standards to make it easier for farmers and exporters to trade within the region and access global markets.
The call came on September 22, 2026 during the launch of the Horticultural Council for Eastern Africa (HoCEA) in Nairobi, where industry players said unharmonized regulations, high logistics costs and post-harvest losses were limiting the growth of the sector.
HoCEA Chairperson Jacqueline Mkindi said the council will bring together the region’s horticulture industry to identify common challenges and push for practical solutions.
She said the sector is facing disruptions in logistics and global markets, making regional cooperation necessary.
“Our agenda is to produce nationally but also conduct regionally and compete globally,” Mkindi said.
She said post-harvest losses remain a major concern, with losses estimated at between 30 and 80 per cent in some parts of the horticulture value chain.
The council plans to support farmers and other value-chain actors through training while pushing for investment in collection centres, cold storage and other market infrastructure.
Mkindi said better infrastructure, traceability and knowledge of market requirements would help farmers reduce losses and meet requirements in export markets.
The council also plans to push for harmonisation of standards across East Africa to reduce technical barriers to trade.
Esther Nekambi, treasurer of HoCEA, said different standards in individual countries make it difficult for producers to trade across borders.
She said the region needs common standards and stronger evidence-based policies that support farmers and exporters.
“We have a plan to harmonise our standards as a region,” Nekambi said.
The private sector also wants governments to address the high cost of doing business and delays in tax refunds.
Horticulture Council for Eastern Africa Secretary General Clement Tulezi said the flower industry was facing difficult trading conditions due to geopolitical tensions and rising freight costs.
He said growers and exporters were currently focused on maintaining their businesses rather than expanding.
Tulezi also called for faster payment of VAT refunds, saying the government owes the Kenyan flower industry about Sh12 billion, according to industry figures presented at the meeting.
He said delayed refunds were putting pressure on businesses and called for a sustainable solution.
“For us, we are basically surviving at the moment,” Tulezi said, adding that high taxes, levies and freight costs were making exports increasingly difficult.
Matthew Komen, Deputy Director incharge of Domenstic Trade at the State Department for Trade said the government will work with the private sector to address policy and market-access challenges.
He said Kenya is looking beyond traditional markets and is seeking greater access to the European Union, United Arab Emirates and United States markets.
Komen said increasing value addition would also help farmers and traders earn more from horticultural exports instead of relying mainly on raw produce.
He said the government wants the private sector to play a leading role in expanding markets and increasing foreign exchange earnings and employment.
The council will also seek to strengthen intra-African trade by ensuring horticultural products can move more easily across borders.
Tulezi said East Africa needs to trade more among itself instead of routing products through markets outside the continent.
He said the region’s fragmented approach weakens its bargaining power in areas such as freight, standards and market access.
The launch brought together government and private-sector players and development partners to discuss ways of strengthening horticultural trade in East Africa.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article or report do not necessarily reflect those of TradeMark Africa (TMA).
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