Managing scale insects in fresh fruits in East Africa to enhance market access
Trade in mango, avocado, papaya and citrus within the East African Community region, the European Union and China at import and export levels have been rising. However, meeting the increasing demand is being affected by a number of crop pests and diseases. In East Africa, scale insects – mealybug pests such as Papaya mealybug and fruit tree mealybug – are impacting cultivation and yields. To tackle these pests and increase trade, CABI is working with partners to increase compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary requirements through improved surveillance and management of scale insect pests in East Africa.
Rapid appraisal of the financing landscape for the coffee sector in Africa
The coffee sector in Africa provides a vital source of income for many smallholder farmers and accounts for a large proportion of export income for many countries. However, access to finance for production, in-country processing and marketing of coffee is one of the main challenges limiting the transformation of the African coffee sub-sector into a vibrant and resilient industry. CABI is undertaking a study aimed at finding ways to overcome these challenges by determining the best models for financing the micro and small to medium enterprises, and individual smallholder producers of the African coffee value chains.