Stories

ITC enhances packaging capacities of TSIs, SMEs in Africa

15 May 2014
ITC News

Delegates from Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia are now equipped with more knowledge about the latest technology and innovations in the packaging industry, after attending a conference as part of a trip organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC).

Twelve representatives of export promotion institutions, standards and crop-development organizations, as well as food processors, participated in Propak East Africa, a packaging exhibition and conference held in Nairobi on 1-3 April.

ITC organized the study mission in the context of the Promoting Intraregional Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa project funded by the Government of Finland. The project aims to promote participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia in regional and global agri-food value chains.

Technological innovations

The conference showcased recent developments in the packaging, food-processing, printing, labelling and plastics industries, offering participants an opportunity to gain insight into technological innovations related to packaging, distribution and processing equipment in the East African market.

At the fair, the delegates visited exhibitors’ stands and became familiar with different packaging materials, products and processing machinery. They had discussions with suppliers to understand how packaging is manufactured, and they established contacts to follow up on after the fair.

The participants also visited the Kenya Bureau of Standards, the Export Promotion Council, four packaging manufacturers and a honey-and-groundnuts processing factory.

At the end of the trip, one of the delegates from the Zambia Development Agency said that he will use what he has learned to strengthen the export-development system in Zambia. After seeing the progress made by the Institute of Packaging Professionals Kenya, members of the Tanzanian team said they would like to support the development of a similar establishment in their country.