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.
