Under the umbrella of the East African Community (EAC) European Union (EU) – Market Access Upgrade Programme (also known as MARKUP), the International Trade Centre convened a two-day workshop on Improving Avocado Post harvest management last week.
The practical training gathered together 20 major identified exporters of avocados from across Rwanda, aimed at enhancing the product safety, process management and value chain improvements.
ITC is implementing the MARKUP Programme, a regional development initiative, which aims to contribute to the economic development of the EAC by improving market access to EU and the East African region. Financed by the EU, the programme supports Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) operating in coffee, cocoa, tea, spices and horticultural sectors in five EAC partner states. ITC implements a number of technical assistance and training activities aimed at improving the trade competitiveness of SMEs and promoting export market linkages.
Rwandan avocadoes are exported mostly to European countries that include the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Brussels. Last year, through NAEB the Government of Rwanda supplied 138,120 avocado seedlings to 384 farmers as efforts to expand the number of avocado trees in the country. Hass variety dominates the country’s exports with 80%, followed by Fuerte among others.
Source: ktpress.rw
