Kenya is the leading exporter out of Africa with over 16,000 tonnes perishables per month. Kenya Airways Cargo is expanding its cool chain facility to deal with the extra demand during peak seasons, in addition to expanding its warehouse. It has recently launched flights to John F Kennedy Airport in New York to enable access for Kenyan flowers to Miami, Toronto and Vancouver in North America.
At the recently concluded Flower Logistics Africa 2018 conference in Kenya, organised by Logistics Update Africa, discussions around data sharing and its role in improving floriculture operations took place.
Commenting on setting up cold chain protocols and common standards for African flower export, Evans Michoma, manager, cargo, Kenya Airports Authority, said, "Plans are underway to launch a cargo service quality surveys for all exporters and importers. This tool will ensure cool chains standards are maintained both at the receiving and loading phases. These results will be publicised for all suppliers for actions."
On the other hand, Ethiopian, the largest cargo operator in Africa, has inaugurated a $150 million state-of-the-art cargo terminal at Addis Ababa international airport, which has positioned the carrier to handle all perishable products based on their temperature requirements.
While Africa is on its way to achieving its full potential step-by-step, all the concerted efforts by supply chain stakeholders and the regulatory bodies are making the air cargo business in Africa a promising one.