“The potential to develop a strong global competitive position is there and we have hardly scratched the surface,” said John Muswere, a council board member.
“There is now need to create an enabling environment for the new farmers so that they can meaningfully contribute to the growth of the sector. Adequate funding is also vital for its revival,” added Muswere.
Smallholder farmers could break into the export market provided there was adequate backing from government, the private sector and existing exporters.
“I want to urge the farmers to use the TradeMap an online database of global trade flows and barriers to identify possible markets,” he said.
The HPC plans to introduce training programmes soon. In 2011 the country exported 12 000 tonnes of vegetables up from 10 000 in 2010.
The European Union is the biggest market for horticultural products, accounting for 80% of flower exports, 70% of vegetables and 50%S of citrus.
Post published in: Agriculture