Kenya: Record Tea Prices This Year at Mombasa Auction

Tea prices at the Mombasa auction kicked off 2017 on a high note, nearly touching a one-year record during last week's auction.   A market report by the East African Tea Traders Association (EATTA) indicates that a kilogramme of made tea fetched Sh268 on average in Tuesday's trading compared with Sh260 in an earlier sale.   The volume traded last week though dropped by 667,483 tonnes in one of the largest volume declines in recent months as dry weather.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017

Tanzania: Grain Silos Helping Farmers Eliminate Post-Harvest Losses

Malahi Chalahani seems to win a race this year. Njire Jibusa and his wife Mwashi Kapimitilo are also confident to win the same race. Likewise, Yohana Samson and his wife Saru Lameck.   All of them are farmers in the ward of Msowero, Morogoro-District. And they all just installed a metal silo. In August last year, after harvest, they stored some 500 kilogrammes of maize in it and closed the silo hermetically. In February, they will most probably open the silo again and sell the.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017

Tanzania: Chinese Firm Signs $1 Billion Deal to Boost Cassava Farming

Dar es Salaam — Tanzania has signed a $1 billion partnership agreement with a Chinese firm to commercialise cassava farming and processing, raising hopes to growers who have been grappling with the challenge of accessing reliable markets.   Tanzania Agricultural Export Processing Zone Limited and Epoch Agriculture (TAEPZ) from China said they created an out-grower scheme that will ensure sufficient production of cassava for processing.   The firm will also.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017

Tanzania: UAE Firm Piques Govt's Interest in Building Modern Swimming Pool, Sports Academy

Dar es Salaam — The government has shown positive reception of the interest by United Arabs Emirates (UAE) Hamilton Aquatics club of building modern swimming pool as well as providing sports academy with training facilities in the country.   The officials who jetted in were: Hamilton Aquatics Director, Christopher Tidey and Chief Executive Officer (Ceo), Phillippa Clark.   The executives were hosted by the leading swimming club in the country, Dar es Salaam.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017

Kenya: Construction of Bridge Across Ferry Channel Delayed

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has said the national government has delayed the construction of a bridge across Likoni channel by switching firms.   Mr Joho said the French government was willing to finance the construction but got no approval from the government, which sought another company's services.   Speaking at the Aga Kgan Hospital in Mombasa during the signing of an agreement between Aga Khan Health Services Kenya and Agence Française de.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017

Ethiopia: Authority Signs Road Construction Deals Worth $2 Billion

Ethiopia is committed to expand access to modern road.   The Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) signed road construction agreement worth 6.4 billion Birr with domestic and foreign contractors Thursday.   Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ethiopian Roads Authority Director General Araya Girmay said the agreement was made to construct Babile-fiq I,. II,III, Asosa-Daleti-Barudu, Eteya-Robe-Seru, Afedera-Erebti and Eritale-Ahmedela I,II roads with concrete.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 17th January 2017

Rwanda: Rwandair's Mumbai Direct Flights to Boost Trade, Tourism

The move by RwandAir to start direct commercial flights to Mumbai, India in quarter two of the year will ease market access and help reduce transport costs, the business community and experts have said. It could also boost tourism arrivals, they added.   The development follows the signing of bilateral air services agreements between Rwanda and India during the 8th Vibrant Gujarat Summit, a global business forum in India, early this week, paving way for the commencement of the.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 16th January 2017

Rwanda: Legislators Assess Development Projects Across Country

MPs in the Lower Chamber of Parliament yesterday started a ten-day tour across the country to assess both government and privately initiated projects that have been driving economic development of citizens over the last seven years.   The visits, which will be held in each of the country's 30 districts from yesterday up to January 21, are in line with Parliament's mandate to assess government programmes and the MPs will draw recommendations on how to strengthen the projects for.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 16th January 2017

Ethiopia Looking at U.S.$940 Million From Coffee Export

Ethiopia is working to become second coffee exporting country.   Ethiopia has set a goal of securing 940 million USD exporting 241,000 tonnes of coffee this year.   In a recent briefing, Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Development and Marketing Authority Director General Sani Redi said modernizing coffee value chain, employing IT assisted export control system and improving Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) capacity are fundamental tasks being carried out to hit the.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 16th January 2017

Ethiopia: $40 Million Cement Project Replaces Fuel Oil With Coal

The replacement move is to cut cost and increase production.   The 39.2 million USD worth Mugher cement project which replaced previous High Fuel Oil energy source with Coal has seen completion and entered production phase.   Speaking at the inaugural event, Public Enterprises State Minister Beyene Gebremeskel lauded enterprise's unrivaled effort in equipping itself with state-of-the-art technology to enable its employees and customers benefit the most out of.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 16th January 2017

Ethiopia: UN Approves $40 Million Project to Upgrade Commissions in Africa & Asia

United Nations — The UN's Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee) has approved a $40 million project to retrofit the premises of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, as part of the upgrades of UN Commission buildings, including the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa.   The project, described as "the most cost-effective, low-risk and viable option", is expected to provide long-term.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 16th January 2017

Rwanda: Regional Coffee Giants Java House Opens Kigali Branch

 One of the leading coffee shops in East Africa, Java House, is due to open its maiden shop in Kigali today. Java House was initially in Kenya, later expanded to Uganda and have now opened the first Rwanda arm, making a total of 56 branches distributed in three countries. "We are super excited to be in Rwanda, really thrilled," Ken Kuguru, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Java House told The New Times in an interview yesterday. "We are in three countries.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 16th January 2017