Following the success of its 2025 edition, HortiFlora is transitioning from a biennial to an annual event

The decision reflects the growing international interest and expanding role of Ethiopia in the global horticultural industry. According to Dick Van Raamsdonk of HPP Worldwide, “Given the increasing international interest and significance of the event, HortiFlora will now have a transition from a biennial trade show to an annual one.”

This year’s trade show, held in Addis Ababa from April 1st to 3rd, saw a record turnout and a noticeable international presence, especially from the Middle East. Van Raamsdonk expressed his satisfaction, saying, “It was a highly successful event, featuring a record-breaking 140 exhibitors, stunning stands, and a consistent flow of visitors, including a strong international presence, particularly from the Middle East.”

For the first time, the event showcased not just flowers but also fruits and vegetables, which marked a significant development for the show. “The inclusion of fruit and vegetable growers alongside the traditional floral exhibitors significantly expanded the event’s scope.” This broader focus reflects the growing importance of Ethiopia’s horticultural sector, which now includes a wide variety of fresh produce.

The move to an annual schedule is expected to benefit the industry in several ways. As Van Raamsdonk said, “With Ethiopia’s rising production of fresh flowers, fruits, and vegetables, an annual event will further strengthen the country’s export potential, stimulate its economy, and foster continued growth in the horticultural sector’s employment.”

Organised in close cooperation with the Ethiopian Horticulture Producers Exporters Association (EHPEA), HortiFlora has seen steady growth over the past 20 years. The next edition is already set for March 24-26, 2026, again in Addis Ababa, and is expected to attract even more participants as the show continues to gain traction globally.

By becoming an annual event, HortiFlora is positioning itself as a key platform for international trade, innovation, and collaboration in one of Africa’s fastest-growing agricultural sectors.

In 2019, South Africa’s Poultry Sector Master Plan (PSMP) was launched with bold ambitions: to protect the industry from dumped imports, boost local production, grow exports, create jobs, and expand black ownership.

Six years later, while the vision still resonates, the momentum behind it is fading.

The PSMP was designed as a joint public–private effort to rebuild the country’s broiler value chain, which had suffered years of damage from unfair trade. It focused on five key pillars: enforcing trade remedies, stimulating local demand and production, expanding exports, supporting transformation, and improving governance through a dedicated oversight council.

In its early phase, the plan showed real promise. The poultry industry responded quickly, committing over R2.2 billion in new investments — surpassing the initial R1.5 billion target. Trade measures, supported by bird flu outbreaks abroad, began to reduce dumped imports, offering local producers some relief.

Major producers expanded operations, onboarded contract growers, and created jobs. Emerging farmers were integrated into formal value chains through offtake agreements, marking visible progress in transformation. These developments proved that when government and industry worked in sync, results followed.

But since the last election, progress has stalled. Responsibility for the PSMP was shifted to deputy ministers, and political attention drifted. While government leaders, including Gauteng MEC Ramokgopa and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, have reaffirmed their commitment — citing new financial packages, bird flu vaccination plans, and improved cold chains — much of it remains on paper.

Exports, a cornerstone of the plan, are still blocked by red tape. Negotiations with key markets like the EU, UAE, and Saudi Arabia have made little headway. Veterinary labs remain underfunded and understaffed, delaying health certification. As one insider put it, “Exports die in the lab. Producers are ready, but the paperwork isn’t.”

The plan also promised blended finance to help small and black-owned producers scale up. Yet funding access remains limited, and government-imposed conditions on vaccine rollouts have made key health programmes unaffordable and impractical for producers.

Ultimately, the Master Plan was never meant to be carried by the private sector alone. It’s a shared compact — one that depends on both sides delivering. The poultry industry has largely honoured its commitments. Now, government must match that effort with urgent, transparent and time-bound action.

South Africa’s poultry sector still holds massive potential — for rural jobs, food security, black empowerment and export growth. But unless government moves beyond promises to delivery, the PSMP risks becoming a cautionary tale of plans made, but not kept.

Côte d’Ivoire has reported that it successfully traced 40 percent of its cocoa production during the 2024/25 season, running from October to September, according to the most recent Cocoa Barometer report.

The 200‑page examination of the global chocolate industry touches on critical issues such as poverty, deforestation and human rights, and underscores that weak traceability persists as a central flaw in Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa value chain. Much of the nation’s cocoa production is still channelled through fragmented systems. The study highlights that sourcing often passes through multiple intermediaries, rather than linking farmers directly to processors. This opacity hinders efforts to monitor environmental impact or hold parties accountable for deforestation and unsustainable practices.

Indeed, the report estimates that 60 percent of Ivorian cocoa remains untraced  a figure broadly in line with prior research. A 2023 study by Trase and UCLouvain found that 55 percent of cocoa exported in 2019 lacked traceability. Researcher Cécile Rénier points out that weak institutional ties between cooperatives and smallholders aggravate the problem: farmers may sell to multiple buyers or even informal agents, while cooperatives sometimes buy from non‑members to meet volume goals. This weakens accountability and complicates efforts to verify that the cocoa declared actually originates from the claimed plots.

At the policy level, this report emerges amid debates over the European Union’s deforestation regulation set to ban imports linked to forest loss. Though its implementation has been delayed to 2026, traceability is now more urgent than ever, since the EU receives 55 percent of Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa and cocoa product exports. In response, Côte d’Ivoire has introduced a National Coffee‑Cocoa Traceability System, launched in September 2023, to record commercial transactions and enable tracking of individual sacks. Between 2019 and 2020, the Coffee and Cocoa Board (CCC) conducted a detailed census of farmers and their plots, and in 2022 began issuing identity cards to farmers that include plot sizes and ownership details. To date, approximately 855,000 of the 993,000 registered farmers have received these cards, covering more than 3.2 million hectares of cocoa and coffee land.

While achieving 40 percent traceability marks progress, wide gaps remain. Strengthening transparency across the supply chain, deepening integration of trace systems, and forging more dependable connections between farmers and buyers are vital for enhancing sustainability. Only then can Côte d’Ivoire hope to align with export standards and shield its cocoa sector from deforestation, environmental harm and human rights abuses.

Bühler has officially launched the Cenomic Horizon 3, a powerful addition to its wet grinding portfolio, aimed at transforming energy efficiency, product quality, and throughput for industries that rely on fine grinding and dispersion

Designed with the needs of sectors such as paints and coatings, printing inks, and agrochemicals in mind, the new bead mill offers a smarter, more sustainable solution for processing solids into liquids.

Unveiled globally from Bühler’s headquarters in Uzwil, Switzerland, Cenomic Horizon 3 is equipped with a 20-litre active chamber and 30-kilowatt drive power. This state-of-the-art machine represents a leap forward in processing technology, offering precise temperature control, reduced wear, and greater application flexibility. As explained by Patrick Schwager, Bühler’s Product Manager for Grinding & Dispersing, the new model is engineered to handle temperature-sensitive materials with improved stability, giving operators more confidence and control in production.

Significant design improvements are at the core of Cenomic Horizon 3’s performance. A newly optimised grinding chamber and an advanced bead separation system ensure efficient product flow and bead distribution. The integration of a silicon carbide inner liner dramatically improves thermal conductivity, enabling efficient cooling during continuous high-power operation. Pilot trials have shown that Cenomic Horizon 3 can reduce outlet temperatures by up to 15°C and increase flow rates by 20%, while also achieving energy savings of up to 30% compared to previous versions.

The mill also incorporates Bühler’s Premium V4 automation platform, offering digital control over recipe management, real-time performance monitoring, and predictive maintenance. This intelligent interface improves process safety, reduces downtime, and supports operational efficiency.

Cenomic Horizon 3’s versatility is one of its most attractive features. It is compatible with a wide array of formulations from primers and finishes to pigment concentrates and agrochemical suspensions enabling manufacturers to adapt quickly to changing demands without compromising on quality.

For current customers, retrofit kits are available, allowing upgrades to existing Cenomic 3 and Optima 3 systems. These modular enhancements expand process capabilities through a redesigned chamber and updated screen technology, offering a cost-effective path to modernisation.

Bühler is also providing hands-on access to the Cenomic Horizon 3 through its application centres in Switzerland, China, and Japan. These facilities offer full-scale testing environments where customers can run trials using their own formulations, fine-tune grinding parameters, and validate performance before making investment decisions.

With additional sizes set to roll out in the future, Cenomic Horizon 3 marks a bold step forward in Bühler’s mission to deliver innovative, energy-smart grinding solutions to global markets.