The Government of Kenya in collaboration with Coca – Cola has embarked on significant strides to elevate the country’s mango supply chain. Investments, Trade, and Industry Cabinet Secretary, Salim Mvurya, has today inaugurated a new technical committee focused on establishing a sustainable mango supply chain industry.
The committee’s formation follows a collaborative framework agreement signed between the government and Coca-Cola Central, East, and West Africa, along with Coca-Cola Beverages Kenya, during President William Ruto’s state visit to Atlanta in May this year.
The newly established technical committee has been tasked in transforming the mango industry by exploring ways to enhance high-potential mango varieties throughout the entire value chain,
from seed variety selection and planting to post-harvest handling, processing and marketing.
“This partnership between Kenya and Coca-Cola is a significant opportunity that must be seized. The committee has a vital role in exploring sustainable methods of producing high-quality mangoes that meet international standards, facilitate market access, and promote aggregation for commercial scale,” said Mvurya.
He is keen on leveraging existing markets negotiated through the regional communities such as the East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), to enhance farmers empowerment through training, knowledge sharing and promotion of cooperatives and other aggregation models, the framework will create economies of scale that will allow farmers to pool their resources, improve their bargaining power, and ensure consistent and steady supply of the value chain throughout the year
“Farmers need to be empowered to understand the requisite quality and standards required so as to link Kenyan mango farmers with local processing companies, as well as international buyers. This can be achieved through close collaboration with county governments, which will play a key role in training and supporting farmers,” said Mvurya.
The committee will further assess the impacts of seasonality and building a more predictable supply chain, which will enable better planning and investment in processing and export facilities.
”Mango farming has the potential to become a major economic driver for Kenya, transforming it from a seasonal fruit into a reliable cash crop that can support the livelihoods of thousands of farmers, create opportunities for employment and in turn increase agricultural exports,” Mvurya said.
Present during the meeting, the Coca-Cola system expressed strong confidence in the potential of supply chain, an opportunity, once fully blossomed, could drive growth through a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors.
The technical committee is expected to deliver a comprehensive report with actionable recommendations to develop a sustainable and profitable mango supply chain early February next year.