Local Avocadoes For US

--$8m contract depends on consistency of suppliers
By Mikaili Sseppuya
A Memorandum of Understanding, in which a Ugandan firm will supply various food items worth $8m per year to a US firm, was signed on Tuesday, between US based importer John Nuwamanya-Matsiko and Ugandan fruit exporter John Kavuma.

The signing was held in the Uganda Export Promotions Board (UEPB) boardroom in Kampala.
Nuwamanya-Matsiko is a Director of USAfrica International Limited, which supplies fruits for two wholesale outlets in the US. Kavuma is the Chairman of the Federation of Associations of Uganda Exporters (FAUX). The first consignment will consist of avocadoes.

“This deal is worth $8m on a repeat basis, provided Kavuma can supply the avocados without the storage temperatures going above 40 degrees fahrenheit (about 5 degrees celsius). That is what will make or break the deal.

“It is necessary to put the fruits in a cold storage chain right from the garden, in the transportation, right through to the freighting. We have agreed to pay for all the freight charges as part of the price we pay,” Matsiko said.

He explained that he had actually wanted seven to twenty forty foot containers of fruits per week for five months from January to May. The period when Florida and Californian producers in the US are not in marketing.

“The period January to May is when we have a window of opportunity which we can explore to get our fruits into the US market. The market is opening up and I think the big question of freight will be eased as more airlines try the direct US route” he said.

Kavuma said FAUX has been going around identifying growers of avocados. Other items Matsiko wants to import include sweet potatoes, hot pepper, ginger and mangoes.

He said the available avocados they have identified on the market, make up only a total of four tonnes per week.
Ends