Perishable goods like fresh fruit and vegetables, ornamental flowers, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals are considered temperature-sensitive sectors and required to be maintained at specific temperature during storage and transportation.
Transportation and distribution of fresh food products is a substantial and increasing part of the economic activities throughout the world. Unfortunately, fresh food transportation and distribution not only suffers from significant spoilage and waste but also from dismal efficiency due to tight transit timing constraints between the availability of harvested food and its delivery to the retailer.
Cognizant of this this valid essence of agro-logistics to fully unleash the potential of Ethiopian horticulture export industry particularly fruit and vegetables, H.E Ato Dhenge Boru, State Minister of Ministry of Transport and Logistics in partnership with EHPEA hosted a targeted convening on Saturday at Skylight Hotel here in Addis Ababa in the presence of, among others, senior leaders of Ethiopian Maritime Affairs Authority (EMA), Ethiopian Shipping Lines(ESL). Ethio-Djibouti Railway (EDR), all shipping companies and their representatives operating in and from Ethiopia and plantations working on fruit, vegetables and flowers.
Ato Dhenge stated that it is not a matter of choice rather a question of necessity to create the right eco-system for cold chain logistics in the country to be competitive in the global fresh produce supply chain. The state minister went on to say that the incumbent government is undertaking several reforms so as to create an enabling environment for local and international companies and agricultural farms operating in Ethiopia to become competitive internationally.
He reiterated the readiness of his government and his Ministry to transform the cold chain legal framework and infrastructure than ever before to bring breakthrough in the export of fresh produce from Ethiopia and create decent jobs for fellow compatriots in the Country.
Ato Tewodros Zewdie, Executive Director of EHPEA, on his part stated that big fruit and vegetable farms are operating in Ethiopia and the demand for cold warehouses, cold trucks and reefer containers is increasing a lot. He called on all parties to work in unison to unlock the potential of the country and benefit from the massive opportunities.
From the deliberations it was established that there are a minimum of more than 5 thousand new reefer container demand from the horticulture farms that are going to export to Europe, Middle East and various destinations across the globe.
The convening has also served as an important platform to have joint planning and preparation among horticulture plantations, , logistic service providers, and the Ministry of Transport and Logistics(MoTL).
The Minister underscored that the platform will continue in a structured manner.
