Despite East Africa currently having a monthly demand of about 600,000 pairs of industrial shoes, production is only about 60,000 shoes per month. The report indicates that the EAC region processes leather up to wet blue stage with a minimal transformation to finished leather. This suggests that the EAC, which exports mainly wet blue, loses as much as $3.5 (Sh379)per ft². “Appropriate infrastructure for marketing and proper post-harvest handling can tremendously reduce losses that horticulture farmers face in the region,“ said Mathuki. The report recommends for EAC partner states governments to abolish import tariffs and Value Added Tax on imported seeds and seedlings plus other inputs.

Source: The Star October 09, 2020 09:33 UTC