KENYA – Kenya is gearing up to host the Africa Fresh Produce Expo (AFPEX), the largest trade show targeting the fresh produce industry in Africa in June 2024, setting the stage for further growth of this strategically important sector across the Continent.
AFPEX, which is the region’s first all-encompassing trade fair for the fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs industry, will be hosted at the Visa Oshwal Centre in Nairobi, Kenya and is expected to bring together more than 5,000 industry stakeholders from Kenya, Africa and internationally.
According to the organisers FW Africa Events, the 3-day event will comprise of a conference addressed by stakeholders from the fresh produce farming and value addition community, government agencies in the agricluture sector, NGOs and development organisations, acadmic and research institutions in Africa and beyond.
The event will also have an international exhibition hall, where local, regional and global companies will showcase their latest products and services – such as machinery and equipment, logistics and mobility, agricultural inputs and services – to the fresh produce sector in Africa,
Further, at the Expo Hall, a special section dubbed the Fresh Produce Market that feature a collection of fresh produce products from small, medium and commercial farmers, exporters, importers, retailers, distributors, packers and processors from Africa and globally.
AFPEX is expected to bring together more than 5,000 industry stakeholders from Kenya, Africa and internationally.
Important sector, poised for growth
The future of the fresh produce industry in Africa is on an upward trend, driven by incresing incomes and urbanisation, changing consumer tastes and preferences and as consumers focus more on their health and wellness as a result of Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Statista, Africa’s fresh vegetables market will be worth USD 138.7 billion by 2028 and will see a CAGR growth of 11.72% per annum, from USD 79.71 billion in 2023.
On the other hand, Africa’s fresh fruits market is worth USD 64.3 billion in 2023 and is expected to register a significant CAGR growth of 10.34% to 2028.
“The fresh produce sector in Africa offers some of the best opportunities for the agriculture sector in Kenya and Africa at large. With most of the Continent located in the tropics, with abundant agricultural land, good quality soils and in many cases, adequate rainfall, African countries should take advantage of rising demand for fresh produce – raw and packaged – in local, regional and global markets to improve the economic, nutritional and social challenges in the Continent,” says Francis Juma, the Founder & CEO at FW Africa, which runs the FW Africa Events franchise.
“We do believe that the best is yet to come from the huge untapped potential in the fresh produce sector in Africa, where for a long time the focus has been on meeting the demand for export markets such as Europe, US and increasingly, Asian countries such as China. While export markets will remain dominant as a preferred destination for Africa’s fresh produce sector for a while, there is an emerging awareness to enhance innovation and focus into meeting the rising opportunities in local and regional markets in Africa, as well.”
According to Juma, AFPEX will play a critical role in facilitating technology and knowledge transfer while also creating new business contacts and networks that will boost trade and investment into the fresh produce sector in Africa.
The trade show is expected to bring together all the leading players in Africa’s fresh produce sector such as Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria, as well as those from Uganda, Tanaznia, Ghana, Algeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon among many others.
It will also feature scores of suppliers of new technologies to the fresh produce sector in Africa and globally such as shipping companies, banks and insurance firms, agrochemical producers and suppliers, equipment and machinery suppliers etc.
For more information about AFPEX log onto the website www.africafreshproduceexpo.com
