By Macrines Nyapendi
Non-traditional cash crop exports have steadily increased following a reduction on freight fares, statistics from the Agribusiness Centre, have indicated.
Flowers, papain (pawpaws), passion, green chillies, pineapples, hot pepper, vanilla, okra, fresh and dried produce are grouped as non-traditional cash crops.
Steve New, the Horticultural Advisor at the USAID funded Investment for Development Export Agriculture (IDEA) project, told The New Vision on Tuesday that over $17,547,778m was realised from 8,484 metric tonnes of exported high value and fresh crops.
The value and tonnage include the cross border trade estimates. Freight charges for fresh produce to Amsterdam and London were reduced to $1.3/kg in June this year and it is said to be the lowest in five years.
An estimated $15.96m of FOB was realised from high value crops and $2,055,325m from fresh produce. “This is a result of competition at Entebbe Airport in the handling and chartering of aircraft. Cross border surveys indicate a rise in bananas, pineapples and passion fruit trade,” New said. Ends