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Agro-processing and horticultural exports from Africa

Sub-Saharan African exports of horticultural and processed agricultural products are growing in line with the major shift toward these products in world markets. Continued growth in such exports may be vitally important for expanding returns from African agriculture and for increasing Africa’s overall exports. Policy reforms such as reductions in the tariff escalation facing Africa, improvements in the productivity of agricultural processing, and reductions in trade barriers within Africa and beyond would all further stimulate exports of processed agriculture. While essential, expansion of these exports should be regarded as complementary to—rather than a substitute for—development of other dynamic export sectors.