We are excited to unveil one of the CEHA matching grants awardees, Masaka Cooperative Union. Based in Uganda, the Cooperative Union has, over the years, been active in promoting the growing of improved seedlings of horticulture products and training of smallholder farmers in extension services. The Cooperative Union also specializes in Coffee Production, which is deemed rewarding to its farmers for improved income and Livelihoods.
Meet John Mary, Head of monitoring for Masaka Cooperative Union, who now shares with us how the CEHA matching grants will propel Masaka Cooperative’s potential to reach greater heights.
Sustainable agriculture, a game changer in regional food security, is reshaping Africa’s food systems through accelerating agriculture’s role in regional economic development. This came to light at the 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum Summit, held in Dakar, Senegal, from August 31st to September 5th, 2025. With a focus on youths as a driver of agricultural transformation, the Summit was themed “Africa’s Youth: Driving Collaboration, Innovation, and the Transformation of Agri-Food Systems.”
The Summit was officially launched by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was joined by Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, former Ethiopian Prime Minister Haile Mariam Dessalegn, and Senegal’s Agriculture Minister Mabouba Diagne, who remarked on the African continent’s potential to harness, unlock, and transform its food systems for self-sufficiency and sustained food security.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye underscored the relevance of inclusivity in agricultural transformation, unlocking socio-economic opportunities, and the necessity of reducing reliance on food imports to build sustainable food sovereignty.
‘’Our continent has all the potential needed to achieve food self-sufficiency. Africa could help feed the world. Africa should first rely on itself to feed itself. She needs to join a dynamic solution. Together, let us work to break the notion that agriculture is a survival sector’’, remarked H.E. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Republic of Senegal.
H.E. President of the Republic of Rwanda, H.E. Paul Kagame, remarked that the youths are key innovators and drivers of economic growth and agricultural transformation.
“Young people are the changemakers who are the heart of development. You must be out there actively engaged and find a purpose that guides you. Young people must make an effort to contribute and match the level of demands they are making. Support from government, institutions, including development institutions, to partner with you to take your ideas further will come, but you must be engaged.” -H.E. Paul Kagame.
ACTESA Chief Executive Officer, Dr John Mukuka, reaffirmed COMESA’s shared commitment to building resilient, climate-smart, data-driven food systems across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Speaking when he delivered a keynote speech at a side event dubbed “Production estimation
using satellite data and machine learning for Regional Food Balance and Security Monitoring, Dr Mukuka highlighted the crucial role of RFBS in ensuring proactive governance, stable markets,
increased intra-regional trade and agricultural transformation.
In a highly interactive panel discussion, RFBS Manager, Patrick Maingi, emphasised the role of RFBS in boosting farmer incomes, unlocking the agriculture trade and investment potential, and building Africa’s climate-smart food systems.
The summit highlighted the role of the continent’s fast-growing young population in a sector that contributes nearly a quarter of Africa’s GDP.
Key sessions of the forum addressed challenges of agricultural transformation, land access, youth participation, finance, innovation, and technology. The forum also reviewed the African Union’s new Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP/PDDAA), a roadmap for 2026–2035 to strengthen food sovereignty and cut reliance on imports.
Africa’s Food Systems Forum, formerly AGRF, is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture and food systems, bringing together stakeholders to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African food systems forward. Africa Food Systems Forum is designed to energize political will and advance the policies, programs, and investments required to achieve an inclusive and sustainable food systems transformation.
Hosted by Senegal after Kigali (Rwanda) in 2024, the event was organized by 33 partners, including the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). The event drew nearly 6,000 participants, including policymakers, private sector leaders, farmers’ organizations, civil society, and development partners.
The COMESA-EAC Horticultural Accelerator (CEHA), in collaboration with the East African Community (EAC), held a collaborative and transformative Regional Forum on the Market Information System (MIS) and the Regional Food Balance Sheet (RFBS) in ARUSHA, Tanzania, on 20th and 21 August 2025.
The regional Forum aligns with CEHA’s vision of supporting the development and adoption of a regional MIS platform integrated into the Regional Food Balance Sheet (RFBS), a multi-country framework for tracking production, consumption, trade flows, and food security indicators across the region.
In his official opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania, Mr. Gerald Mweli, noted that the forum was crucial for advancing regional harmonized and integrated MIS and RFBS that inform policy direction, decision making, and strengthening market systems.
“MIS is anticipated to integrate our national systems into the Regional Food Balance Sheet (RFBS), providing real-time data on production, prices, trade flows, and demand trends. This is not a standalone database; it is the foundation for regional value chain coordination, enabling decision makers to make informed choices in responding to market signals, attracting targeted investments, and strengthening our competitiveness in regional markets”. He stated.
He observed that systemic inefficiencies in data flow, market access, and post-harvest management hinder inclusive growth and intra-regional trade.
“Market intelligence tools like MIS are critical in boosting farmer incomes, stabilizing food supply chains, and enhancing regional food security. This is why the integration of CEHA’s Market Information System (MIS) with the Regional Food Balance Sheet (RFBS) framework is not only timely but essential as the EACs and COMESA’s broader trade and business agenda, leveraging digitalization to deepen regional value chains for sustainable and inclusive growth’’ he remarked.
Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa, Chief Executive Officer, Dr John Mukuka, remarked that MIS is relevant in ensuring the availability of accurate, timely, and standardised market data towards unlocking the trade and investment potential of the Horticulture sector in COMESA and EAC regions.
“Without reliable, timely, and standardised market data, farmers cannot plan production, exporters cannot identify opportunities, and policymakers cannot respond effectively to changing market conditions. Therefore, today’s forum is key in building consensus on governance, data sharing protocols, technical interoperability, and sustainability models.
EAC Acting Director for Productive Sectors, Mr Simon Kiarie, updated that EAC has intensified efforts to enhance the Horticulture Sector by implementing the Fruits and Vegetables strategy and post-harvest Management initiatives aimed at improving farmers’ income.
He remarked that EAC is committed to deepening regional integration through enhanced intra-regional trade and promoting regional horticulture food security systems in the COMESA and EAC regions.
And Green Revolution Regional Program Officer, Food Trade in East and Southern Africa, Solomon Baregu, underscored the need for strategic partnerships and consensus-building that support harmonized, regional MIS for transparency, private sector investment, and policy responsiveness.
The collaborative platform brought together strategic partners, including experts in MIS and RFBS from the Ministries of Agriculture, trade, and the National Bureau of Statistics in the CEHA Target countries of Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda. Other Partners included COLEAD and GIZ.
The Regional Forum marks a key step towards realising the COMESA and EAC aspiration of boosting farmer incomes, stabilizing food supply chains, and enhancing regional horticulture food security systems in the COMESA and EAC regions.
To support innovative agribusiness projects that contribute to the improvement of farming household incomes and job creation for young people, women, and youth, through the horticultural sector, the COMESA EAC Horticulture Accelerator (CEHA) project has awarded six vibrant agribusiness cooperatives and associations with up to $100,000 in matching grants. Supported by the Gates Foundation, the priority value chains over the short term for the CEHA projects are avocado, onion, and Irish potatoes.
Each grantee from the CEHA target countries of Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Uganda will contribute a matching amount to complement the CEHA grant.
Meet Oluwaseun Joshua Rasheed, Chief Executive Officer of SOUK, a cooperative enterprise based in Rwanda, who shares with us how the CEHA matching grants will contribute to unlocking SOUK’s potential.
The Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA), a specialized Agency of COMESA led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr John Mukuka, had the pleasure of hosting ISAAA AfriCenter, represented by ISAAA Director, Dr Margret Karembu, along with the ISAAA Board Members at the COMESA Secretariat on 25th August 2025. The strategic engagement focused on advancing shared aspirations and objectives of driving sustainable agriculture in the region. Some key highlights of the meeting included;
Together, we are taking bold steps toward advancing biotechnology and biosafety in the region to promote increased global and regional trade in genetically modified agriculture products.
The COMESA-EAC Horticultural Accelerator (CEHA), in collaboration with the East African Community (EAC), held a collaborative and transformative Regional Forum on the Market Information System (MIS) and the Regional Food Balance Sheet (RFBS) in ARUSHA, Tanzania, on 20th and 21 August 2025.
The regional Forum aligns with CEHA’s vision of supporting the development and adoption of a regional MIS platform integrated into the Regional Food Balance Sheet (RFBS), a multi-country framework for tracking production, consumption, trade flows, and food security indicators across the region.
Keynote speeches delivered by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Gerald Mweli, Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa, Chief Executive Officer, Dr John Mukuka, EAC Acting Director, Productive Sectors, Mr Simon Kiarie, Alliance for a Green Revolution Regional Program Officer, Food Trade in East and Southern Africa, Solomon Baregu, Tanzania Horticulture Association, Chief Development Manager, Anthony Chimanga, underscored the following;
The collaborative platform brought together strategic partners, including experts in MIS and RFBS from the Ministries of Agriculture, trade, and the National Bureau of Statistics in the CEHA Target countries of Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda. Other Partners included COLEAD and GIZ.
The Regional Forum marks a key step towards realising the COMESA and EAC aspiration of boosting farmer incomes, stabilizing food supply chains, and enhancing regional horticulture food security systems in the COMESA and EAC regions.
We are thrilled with the collaborative and production engagements with our collaborating partners, the East African Community, GIZ, and the Tanzania Horticulture Association, held on August 19TH, 2025, in Arusha, Tanzania, on the sidelines of the COMESA-EAC Horticultural Accelerator Regional CEHA Market Information System (MIS) Forum. Key highlights of the discussions included reflections on challenges and opportunities affecting the horticulture landscape of the EAC and COMESA region, such as trade facilitation, production capacity, market access, and access to finance. The engagement underscored the need for accelerating the commercial integration of East African and COMESA horticultural value chains into national, regional, and international markets to promote and enhance trade and market opportunities. Other key highlights of the meeting included;
The meeting reflected a shared dedication to developing the regional horticulture sector and provided a valuable opportunity for CEHA to engage with its strategic partners.
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CEHA remains enthusiastic about accelerating the growth of the regional horticulture sector and is keen to leverage this partnership to collectively drive the transformation of the Fruit and Vegetable Sub-sector in our region through the COMESA-EAC Horticultural Accelerator (CEHA).
To enhance the national, regional, and global competitiveness of the horticulture sector in the COMESA EAC Horticulture Accelerator (CEHA) target countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, CEHA has unveiled its Cluster Development Programme (CDP). The cluster program is crucial in enhancing the capacities of value chain actors in the avocado, onion, and Irish potato sectors. The clusters will provide growth and development opportunities to stakeholders, including farmers/producers, traders, aggregators, agribusiness enterprises, logistic players, retailers, processors, exporters, and other public and private operators.
To fast-track the process of establishing and strengthening horticultural production clusters in the areas of operation, CEHA recently onboarded consultants to coordinate the process of establishing clusters in close partnership with the respective CEHA National Chapters. This will be achieved through site validation, business case development, and stakeholder capacity building. The key highlights of crucial outcomes to strengthen the horticulture sector in the CEHA target countries will include;
Horticulture cluster is a regional/geographical concentration of targeted horticulture crops, offering scope for specialization in pre-production, production, post-harvest management, logistics, marketing, and branding.
Currently valued at USD 4 billion, to double or triple in the next 10 years, the Bill Foundation-funded project program was created in 2022 through public and private sector partners to better coordinate policy, value chain development programs, financing, research, and development. The project aims to accelerate the growth of the fruit and vegetable subsector of the COMESA and EAC regions.
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Horticulture offers significant potential for economic growth, including increases in rural incomes and employment opportunities, across the COMESA and EAC regions. The horticulture sub-sector also offers significant potential for improving the financial agency of women, given the high proportion of women who work in the sub-sector along the value chain, from farming to processing and marketing.
Given this potential, the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA), a Specialized Agency of COMESA has prioritized building the capacity of the horticulture sub-sector across the COMESA and EAC regions. Through its program, the COMESA-EAC Horticulture Accelerator (CEHA), ACTESA aims to complement the implementation of the Fruit and Vegetable (F&V) sub-sector of the COMESA and EAC Regions. Valued at USD4 billion to double or triple in the next 10 years, CEHA’s priority value chains over the short term are avocado, onion, and Irish potato in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.
To support innovative agribusiness projects that contribute to the improvement of farming household incomes, rural economic development, and gender equity via horticultural value chains across the region, the CEHA project will see seven vibrant agribusiness cooperatives and associations receive up to 100,000 US dollars Gates foundation funded matching grants by August 2025, with each grantee contributing a matching amount to complement the CEHA grant. The cooperatives and associations will implement various initiatives aimed at scaling up horticulture value chains over a period of 24 months.
CEHA is keen to transform the horticultural industry in the COMESA and EAC region to create the growth and sustainability of horticultural value chains. The CEHA project underscores the need for accelerating commercial integration of East and Southern Africa horticultural value chains into national, regional, and international markets to promote the growth of horticultural markets, to contribute to enhanced climate-smart horticultural productivity, value chain development, and economic empowerment, and increased gender-inclusive rural income growth and employment creation.
By ACTESA Communication Specialist
The horticulture sector remains a pillar of economic growth, supporting farmers, SMEs, and agribusinesses across COMESA and EAC Member States. Nonetheless, research suggests that NTBs continue to hinder seamless trade, limiting market access and the movement of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables. Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs), which include divergent Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, varying input certification requirements, inconsistent quality standards, and inefficient border procedures, continue to constrain cross-border trade. Critical to unlocking the full potential of regional agricultural markets and improving food system resilience is the elimination of NTBs to enhance regional agricultural trade.
As part of its efforts to strengthen regional agricultural trade affecting staples, agricultural inputs, and horticultural value chains within the COMESA region, the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA) Secretariat, convened a meeting on the identification of key NTBs and the development of a roadmap for harmonization of the NTBs in Nairobi, Kenya, on the 19th and 20th of June 2025.
The meeting was officially opened by Ms Regina Ombam, Principal Secretary, State Department for Trade, Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, represented by Ms Caroline Chore Senior Trade Development Officer, who underscored the relevance of seamless horticulture cross-border trade, collective commitment, policy coordination, and targeted interventions to ensure the elimination of NTBS and accelerate horticultural trade across Eastern and Southern Africa.
“The horticulture sector is a key driver of economic development, supporting farmers, SMEs, and agribusinesses across COMESA and EAC member states. However, persistent NTBs continue to limit market access and the seamless movement of horticultural products.
“Fragmented markets and regulatory inconsistencies continue to limit the movement of goods and stifle opportunities for farmers and agribusinesses. NTBs are a major obstacle to regional trade, agricultural productivity, and economic growth. Addressing such barriers would, therefore, help increase regional trade in horticultural products,” she said.
ACTESA Chief Executive Officer, Dr John Mukuka, remarked that the elimination of NTBs affecting horticultural value chains is of critical importance to regional trade, agricultural productivity, and economic prosperity. He further highlighted that ACTESA’s goal is to raise intra-regional agricultural trade from the current 10–15% to over 50% in line with the COMESA-EAC Horticulture Accelerator (CEHA).
‘’Harmonised SPS standards, input protocols, and pest control regulations are essential for unlocking agricultural trade across the region. Harmonisation will enable farmers and exporters to access regional and international markets more efficiently, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve the profitability of horticultural value chains,” said Dr. Mukuka.
TradeMark Africa’s Director of Trade and Customs, Bendict Musengele, noted that while over 90% of reported NTBs are resolved, trade volumes have remained stagnant.
“We must address informal and unreported barriers while building productive capacity,” he said.
Alliance for a Green Revolution and the GIZ, represented by Wubeneh and Nega, and Katharina Stumpf, respectively, expressed their commitment to supporting the growth of the Horticulture Sector in the COMESA and EAC region for increased intra-regional trade in horticulture products.
The meeting drew participation from horticulture stakeholders in the CEHA target countries of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, all committed to transforming the vast potential of the horticulture sector within its region.
The stakeholders called for accelerated policy coordination, public-private collaboration, and a clear roadmap for eliminating NTBs to boost regional food trade and position Eastern and Southern Africa as competitive players in global agricultural markets.
The meeting closed on a high note with the development of actionable priority actions and a strategic road map for eliminating and addressing NTBs in the COMESA and EAC region.
Spearheaded by the ACTESA Secretariat, CEHA seeks to enhance sustainable development in the sector, focusing on potatoes, avocados, and onions as the priority value chains based on their production capacity and economic growth potential.
Currently valued at USD 4 billion, to double or triple in the next 10 years, the CEHA program was created in 2022 through public and private sector partners to better coordinate policy, value chain development programs, financing, research, and development. The project aims to accelerate the growth of the fruit and vegetable subsector of the COMESA and EAC regions.
By ACTESA Communication Specialist.