Cold-chain bottlenecks, not airfreight, hold back African produce exports to the Gulf

Industry sources identify farm-level cooling, refrigerated road transport, and consolidation as the principal constraints on African fresh produce exports to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman, rather than airfreight capacity. Post-harvest food losses across farms, transport, storage, wholesale, and processing in sub-Saharan Africa are estimated at 19.95%.

Trade volumes from Kenya

In 2024 the UAE accounted for 7.4% of Kenya's horticultural export value, followed by Saudi Arabia at 3.7%, Qatar at 1.1%, and Oman at 0.8%. Kenya shipped approximately 23,100 tons of avocados worth US$27.7 million to the UAE, along with almost 19,000 tons of pineapples worth US$13.1 million.

Where the chain breaks

Kenyan industry representatives single out farm-level cooling and pre-cooling as the weakest points in the perishables supply chain, followed by road transport and consolidation. Airport handling is regarded as comparatively developed.

Airfreight economics and seasonality

Airfreight can represent 30 to 50% of the landed cost of certain fresh produce categories. Capacity tightens during Ramadan, Eid, and peak horticultural export seasons. Industry representatives note that additional aircraft capacity can be introduced when sufficient export-ready volumes are available.

Sea freight as an alternative

For some products, exporters are considering greater use of sea freight. Avocados and pineapples are seen as candidates because of their existing trade volumes and ability to withstand longer transit times. Mangoes and some citrus varieties could also move by sea where harvest maturity and temperature management allow. Flowers, berries, fresh seafood, and high-value chilled meat are expected to remain more dependent on airfreight. Kenya's expanded reefer capacity at the port of Mombasa is expected to support sea-freight options to Gulf markets.

Investment priorities

Industry representatives identify the following areas for investment:

• pre-cooling and collection hubs near growing areas
• refrigerated road transport
• reliable energy supplies
• digital temperature monitoring
• improved reefer handling