Institutional responses
- 24/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
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ACP Inter-American Development Bank The IADB has a dedicated website for Latin American and Caribbean businesses in the context of COVID-19. It includes blogs and connection platforms on topics such as ‘Tips to prepare your company for the impact of COVID-19’, and ‘How can the COVID -19 crisis change the private sector for the better?’ coronawestafrica.info The Regional Working Group for Risk Communication and Community Engagement in West and Central Africa has launched an online portal, COVID-19 West and Central… +What do ACP producers and exporters need most urgently? First survey results
- 24/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
Through an online survey, COLEACP has been asking what support is most urgently needed by the ACP fruit and vegetable sector during the current crisis. Preliminary results from 87 contributors are analysed below. Respondents were asked to prioritise the three most urgent areas where support is needed. Access to finance was clearly regarded as the most urgent area (77.0% of respondents placed this in their top three issues), followed by hygiene and food safety practices (69.0%). Support for storage/processing, logistics… +a Dreamliner upfield tons of flowers and vegetables from Nairobi to London.
- 20/04/2020
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: Kenya, News, United Kingdom
As part of an initiatives to support Kenya’s renowned horticultural industry, KQ Cargo supported by Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK); Kenya Flower Council (KFC); the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kenya; the European Union in Kenya and the Government of Kenya, uplifted 40 tons of flowers and vegetables to Amsterdam. More flights are planned in the future.… +West African Mango Campaign 2020 has begun
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Mangoes, News, Senegal
SIIM, a key West African mango producer and exporter, has announced the start of the 2020 campaign. The first mangoes, packaged under the Dibra brand from its stations in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Senegal, should arrive by the end of this week. In view of the coronavirus crisis, strict sanitary measures have been taken by the states of these countries not only to protect the population, but also to avoid the spread of the virus. Schools have been… +COLEACP information on supply and demand for ACP horticultural products
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
Building on its intra-ACP Fit For Market programmes, COLEACP’s proposed activities in the short term to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will focus on logistics and access to markets. Activities will include: Monitoring and informing the ACP and EU agri-food industry on logistics, trade and market dynamics. Supporting innovative national and international logistics and trade solutions to help ensure the trade in agricultural and food products – matching supply to demand for available logistical routes; diversifying from export… +Global flower industry
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: News
Provided by Union Fleurs – International Flower Trade Association The gradual relaxation of lockdown measures in some European countries (Spain, Denmark, Germany) and the effective or planned re-opening of garden centres and/or flower shops (Belgium, Italy, Austria) offer some breathing space for demand of flowers and plants on the European market, which is starting to grow slightly, though nowhere close to the usual volumes known in the peak spring season across Europe. Easter has been generating some very welcome sales… +Prospects for domestic and regional markets throughout ACP countries
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
AFRICA A Zimbabwe exporter of fresh vegetables that also sells regionally and locally reports that after 3 days of lockdown, the government relaxed the rules for key sectors: health, agriculture, food manufacturing and distribution. This saw local markets partially open and trade has been going on, although at a slow pace. The bulk of agro-commodity prices have slumped, except for lemons and partially avocado. Farms have been asked to lockdown but operate with housed labour inside the farm. Regarding exports,… +How can large companies support their MSME partners?
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: News
Business Fights Poverty, a business-led collaboration network focused on social impact, has launched a new Business and COVID-19 Response Centre and an Action Toolkit to provide practical steps large companies can take to support their MSME partners through the COVID-19 crisis. As MSMEs struggle, the impact on their communities is also significant as they are often the only source of goods and key services for the most poor and vulnerable populations. For large companies, who rely on MSMEs in their… +East Africa: COVID-19 hampers fight against locusts as threat grows
- 17/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, News
A predicted second wave of desert locusts in East Africa will cause major food security problems for countries already struggling against the coronavirus lockdown – and COVID-19 is also directly disrupting the battle against the locusts. According to Al Jazeera (9 April), flight bans imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19 have significantly delayed deliveries of pesticides in countries across the region. Vincent Ssempijja, Uganda’s Agriculture Minister, reported that Uganda has deployed more than 2000 military troops to carry out… +Track changes to pesticide Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) with the COLEACP database
- 14/04/2020
- Posted by: Gaetan Dermien
- Category: Africa, Caribbean, News, Pacific
A review of key EU and Codex MRL changes since the start of 2018 and an introduction to E-GAP, your tool for tracking changes that affect your sector. Every year, the use of many plant protection products is affected by Maximum Residue Limit (MRLs) changes. Since the start of 2018, MRL have been changed for 239 active substances in EU Regulation and the Codex Alimentarius combined. This has a direct impact on producers who often must change production methods (Good… +