Momentum is building across East Africa for a modal shift in the transportation of perishable exports — such as cut flowers, fruits and vegetables — away from air freight and toward sea freight complemented by rail and cold‑chain infrastructure. The change aims to reduce costs for exporters, improve trade competitiveness and lower supply chain emissions, industry stakeholders say.
Historically, perishables exporters in countries like Kenya have relied heavily on air cargo — for example, around 90 % of cut flower exports typically moved by plane — due to the speed and reliability needed for time‑sensitive shipments. However, chronic capacity shortages and spiking air freight rates have squeezed margins and exposed vulnerabilities in export logistics, prompting businesses and trade bodies to explore maritime alternatives.
An EU‑backed regional initiative under the Business Environment and Export Enhancement Programme is driving planning and pilot projects aimed at increasing the share of East African horticultural exports carried by sea. This includes a masterplan envisaging 80 % of fruit exports by sea by 2030, with infrastructure upgrades, cooled rail connections and cold‑chain improvements designed to ensure quality is maintained during longer transit times.
In Ethiopia, exporters and development partners are preparing for test shipments of avocados and other perishables by sea in 2026, using refrigerated containers and rail/road links to seaports such as Djibouti. These pilot runs will help refine logistics standards, documentation practices and cold‑chain handling — key steps before broader adoption.
Advances in reefer container technology — including precise temperature and humidity controls — mean that even sensitive produce can withstand longer ocean voyages if the end‑to‑end cold chain is professionally managed. While sea transit takes longer than air, it often offers significantly lower costs per unit of cargo, which could improve exporter margins once route reliability and cold‑chain infrastructure expand.
Trade and logistics planners say that this modal shift is not just operational but strategic, with the potential to reshape how East African perishable exports connect to Europe, the Middle East and global markets — making the region’s supply chains more resilient, competitive and sustainable over time.
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