The US has launched a signature trade platform, Africa Trade Desk to link large food retailers in US to African producers.
Countries such as Kenya who export to the market are set to benefit from the programme by streamlining business for farmers and addressing logistics and overseas marketing hurdles.
The initiative seeks to aggregate products from African suppliers, secure firm orders from an established network of US buyers, and access financial resources to fund large orders.
It also aims to mentor and scale African suppliers for success in the US market.
On the other hand, it seeks to support US retailers in diversifying their
sourcing, reduce dependencies on traditional supply chains, and embrace high-quality, sustainable products from Africa.
The trade desk further seeks to establish a secure supply chain from Africa to US retailers by consolidating logistics, insurance and track technology from producers’ farm to the retailer.
Initially, according to the US government, the focus will be on specialty food products such as seafood, peppadews, stone fruit, citrus and high-value herbs and vegetables.
Generally, the programme aims to boost agricultural products exports from the continent by about 10 per cent.
Commenting on the initiative, USAID deputy administrator Isobel Coleman said Africa is a powerhouse of promise, one of the major reasons that prompted them to consider enhancing trade-ties through
Source: TheSTAR
