How fresh produce producers can synergise with COLE-ACP

Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee (COLE-ACP) is an inter-professional network promoting sustainable horticultural trade. It achieves this by gathering together producers/exporters in African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) countries and importers in European countries of fruits and vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants, and other companies and partners operating in the ACP/EU horticultural industry.

By becoming a member, the individual(s)/organisation(s) is/are entering a network of professionals representing the ACP-EU horticulture trade and would be able to develop lasting partnerships within it.

Recently, COLEACP representatives participated in the second EU Nigeria Business Forum in Lagos and facilitated the agriculture workshop on the second day. The COLE-ACP representatives met with various stakeholders, which include donors, project operators, public and private sector players involved in the development of the Nigerian agricultural industry. They informed the stakeholders about COLEACP activities and plans. Synergies were sought. The European delegation in Abuja was also informed about COLEACP activities. This workshop considered potential market access constraints for Nigerian horticultural produce, particularly food safety regulations and private industry standards.

During this visit to Nigeria, COLEACP shared and obtained feedback on a draft proposal for support to the Nigerian horticultural industry.

Akinwunmi Adesina, Nigeria’s minister of agriculture, has given his endorsement for fresh produce export to Europe, which is the biggest market for horticultural produce, saying “we plan to play big in the horticulture market in Europe because Nigeria is closer to Europe than Kenya, Tanzania or even Mozambique.”

Since 2001, COLEACP has been entrusted by the European Commission (EC) to manage the PIP Programme. PIP is financed by the European Development Fund and implemented at the request of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States. COLE ACP also manages the EDES programme, a four-year programme that started in March 2010.

EDES actions are aimed at supporting exporters in ACP countries and they must necessarily fall within the scope of what each country has implemented in terms of food safety, based on risk analysis. EDES operates at the three levels of risk analysis (risk assessment, risk management, risk communication), by first strengthening a sector which is considered by the country concerned to be important and whose products are produced by small producers.

The EDES programme offers support on the basis of requests expressed by the main public and private beneficiaries (‘demand driven’ principle). The beneficiary must take the initiative to draft the application for support and to implement the actions listed in the Memoranda of Agreement (MoA) signed following the applications.

In this context, the EDES Programme Implementation Unit (PIU) is calling on contract experts to support it in the different facilitation, training and technical assistance actions carried out by the Programme, with the aim of strengthening national food safety systems in the ACP. As part of the facilitation and technical assistance actions, the EDES PIU will launch, in November 2013, a call for tender through a competitive negotiated procedure. Submission of expressions of interest must be done not later than October 31, this year at 17:00 (GMT + 1:00). The Expression of interest forms can be completed on the EDES website http://edes.coleacp.org/en.

COLEACP-PIP currently manages four memoranda of agreement for individual support projects in the horticultural industry. The beneficiaries are a farmers’ co-operative, two export companies, and one consultancy firm. COLEACP-PIP has also established a working relationship with the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN).

In addition, since the first COLEACP mission to Nigeria in July 2013, applications for support have been received from other potential beneficiaries and are under evaluation; these include an export company, a citrus producer co-operative, as well as from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

COLEACP (Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee) was established in 1973, as a not-for-profit inter-professional association that represents and defends the collective interests of ACP producers/exporters and EU importers of fruit, vegetables, flowers and plants. Its goal is to facilitate the flow of trade between ACP countries and the EU by, for example, promoting good practice, strengthening competitiveness, and lobbying and advocating on behalf of the industry.

By: OLUYINKA ALAWODE