The East African Community (EAC) has launched a drive to raise awareness of the trade opportunities in agricultural exports that have been created through the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP).
Through the campaign, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the agricultural supply chain, as well as cooperatives, farmers, and government agencies in the EAC, will have access to information and resources on agri-export trade.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign recently, Ms. Flavia Busingye, Acting Director of Customs at the EAC Secretariat, said that MARKUP had created numerous trade opportunities for agri-SMBs in the region.
Ms Busingye said that MARKUP, which was launched in 2018, has created valuable resources to help agri-exports grow in five EAC Partner States: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania.
The program, which is a joint effort of the EAC, the EU, the German government, and other development partners, has produced resources such as the EAC Quality Portal, the Financing Gateway, and the Burundi Trade Information Portal.
The program has also produced market studies, practical guides and handbooks, and policy briefs. Ms Busingye added that MARKUP has helped to strengthen the region’s quality infrastructure, including the harmonization of standards and frameworks for intra-regional trade in food products.
“I encourage you to participate fully in the campaign through the various channels and platforms,” she said. She added that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture sector face a number of challenges when trading within the East African Community (EAC) region.
She highlighted some of these challenges, such as the lack of access to market information, including on standards and quality requirements; the cumbersome and sometimes costly customs procedures; and poor connectivity.
