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Kenya: Makueni County Partners with TradeMark Africa to Launch Horticulture Export Supply Hub

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The County Government of Makueni has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TradeMark Africa (TMA) to establish a state-of-the-art Export Supply Hub (ESH), aimed at transforming horticultural exports from Makueni and neighbouring counties—Machakos, Kajiado, and Taita-Taveta.

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 The County Government of Makueni has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TradeMark Africa (TMA) to establish a state-of-the-art Export Supply Hub (ESH), aimed at transforming horticultural exports from Makueni and neighbouring counties—Machakos, Kajiado, and Taita-Taveta.

The initiative is part of the European Union-funded Business Environment and Export Enhancement Programme (EU-BEEEP), implemented by TMA. The new Hub will address critical logistical and quality challenges, enabling Kenyan farmers to meet stringent international export standards, particularly for the European Union market.

Functioning as a central aggregation, processing, and inspection facility, the Hub will offer on-site certification and digital traceability systems, streamlining compliance with global sanitary, phytosanitary (SPS), and sustainability requirements. This move is expected to reduce post-harvest losses, currently estimated at 40% for mangoes in Makueni—one of Kenya’s top producers with an annual yield of 245,000 metric tonnes.

The facility will feature infrastructure for sorting, grading, cold storage, processing, and packaging. It will also be integrated with the Kenya Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to ensure efficient cargo transport, and will include local aggregation points to maintain a consistent produce supply chain.

“Agriculture is central to our country’s economy,” said Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior. “Through this MoU, we are strategically positioning our farmers for better global market access, helping them command premium prices and significantly improve their livelihoods by cutting down on waste and inefficiencies.”

The Export Supply Hub will also support farmers of emerging export crops such as avocados and French beans. In addition to infrastructure, the collaboration will provide farmers with technical support and training to improve production standards and drive value addition.

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 With Kenya’s horticultural exports—vegetables, fruits, and cut flowers—already contributing approximately $1.06 billion in 2024, the ESH is poised to significantly boost regional export earnings. The Hub is expected to catalyse investment, generate employment, and elevate both the quantity and quality of horticultural exports, accelerating economic growth and deepening the region’s integration into global trade systems.