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Enterprise Competitiveness Newsletter
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Issue 53, August 2009 |
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Enhancing cut flower
exporters' competitiveness in Uganda
Entebbe, August 2009
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Ugandan flower exporters' lack of
competitiveness on the European market is mainly due to the poor quality
of their flowers upon arrival at their final destination. Ugandan
growers mainly cultivate sweetheart roses. These are small-headed roses
compared to the medium and hybrid varieties produced in Ethiopia, Kenya
and Zimbabwe. But favourable climate enables the Ugandan growers to
produce all year round, maintaining the required volumes. Thanks to this
unique situation Uganda has developed a niche market. However, due to
infrastructure problems and limited availability of air transport,
Ugandan flowers too often arrive in a poor quality in the Netherlands,
the world's largest flower trading platform. In the flower business the
essential element of product quality is the temperature at which the
flowers are maintained post harvest and especially on their way to the
final consumer. The cut flowers need to be maintained at the lowest
temperatures possible, "kept asleep" without freezing, until they reach
the consumers. For this, an optimal temperature at arrival in Europe is
between 6°C and 10°C. However Ugandan flowers often arrive on the market
at 20°C or above. |
Measurement of flower box temparature
©Raphaël
Dard, ITC |
The temperature of flower must be taken
care of right after the flowers are cut in the green houses and
the "field heat" is taken away in a room at 2°C. Exporters are aware
that there are a number of steps to be taken, in the most efficient way
in order to keep the temperature low when they deliver them at Entebbe,
where Uganda's main airport is located. It is necessary because when
packed together in the airplane, the flowers generate heat, particularly
during the flight time. In the absence of the substantial funds needed
to invest in better equipment (i.e. more efficient cooling systems) the
option that is left to flower exporters to improve their position on the
international market is to hunt the process steps which warm up the
flowers. The whole supply chain in Uganda is then analysed to improve
flower quality. |
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ITC is bringing support to these exporters
in a cooperation with their association, the Uganda Flower Exporter
Association (UFEA). The aim of the project is to help exporters closely
monitor the temperature of their products at different steps in the
supply chain. Exporters' staff will be trained on an information system,
to be developed by a local IT partner, the IT faculty of the Makerere
University. |
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Temperature measurements will be taken at
various spots and sent via SMS to a database, which will enable
exporters to follow the performance of their teams daily, with instant
information. A local cut-flower expert and adviser to these flower farms,
Paul Sigombe, says: "This is a great project because the concept is
simple and practical, the technology involved is accessible, it won't
need heavy training and SMSs are not expensive. It is locally developed
and is even an opportunity for young IT engineers to work on a concrete
business case. "Elements were put together to launch a sustainable
service for Ugandan flower exporters, enabling them to track down the
hot spots in their supply chain.
ITC will update you on this project as
the pilot unfolds and as many other sectors in many developing economies,
could benefit from such supply-chain monitoring systems. |
Outside handling of flowers at Entebbe airport
©Raphaël Dard, ITC
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- Contact Mr. Raphaël
Dard, Adviser, e-Business - Mobile Solutions, Enterprise Competitiveness Section,
ITC, (dard@intracen.org)
for more information
Programme development activities:
ECS E-nabling
ITC Project reference:
INT/W2/160A
Implementation period: 19/05/2008 - 31/12/2009
Donor: ITC
GTF CC Window 1 (Multiple Donors)
Enterprise Competitiveness: email:
ecs@intracen.org /
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