Market research

Garlic market in Eastern Africa

Release date: Mar 27, 2026

Submission: 15 minutes after payment

Research period: 2017-2025

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"Eastern Africa" region includes following countries:

British Indian Ocean Territory

Burundi

Comoros

Mayotte

Ethiopia

Eritrea

French Southern Territories

Djibouti

Kenya

Madagascar

Malawi

Mauritius

Mozambique

Reunion

Rwanda

Seychelles

Somalia

Zimbabwe

South Sudan

Uganda

Tanzania

Zambia

Earlier Report Observations

From 2018 to 2023, the garlic market in Eastern Africa showed considerable volatility. Market volume grew slightly to 337 thousand tons in 2019 before a sharp contraction to 270 thousand tons in 2020 and a further decline to 228 thousand tons in 2021. A partial recovery followed in 2022, with volume rising to 259 thousand tons, then stabilizing around 251 thousand tons in 2023.

In 2024, the market environment was characterized by strong local fundamentals. Garlic farming in Kenya, a major producer, remained highly profitable due to robust demand from supermarkets and restaurants in cities like Nairobi and Mombasa. Consumer preference increasingly favored fresh, locally grown garlic over imports, particularly from China. This shift was supported by broader government and cooperative initiatives promoting agricultural transformation and high-value crops, though some farmers faced persistent market access challenges related to infrastructure.

Table of content

1. Disclaimer
2. Terms of use of the report
3. Product codes in the statistical classifications used in the report
4. Key Market Indicators and Trends
1. 4.1. Key Market Indicators
  1. 4.1.1. In kind
    1. 4.1.1.1. Production, 2018-2023
    2. 4.1.1.2. Imports, 2018-2024
    3. 4.1.1.3. Exports, 2018-2024
    4. 4.1.1.4. Market size, 2018-2023
2. 4.2. Market Trends and Factors
5. Production
1. 5.1. Production in Eastern Africa
  1. 5.1.1. Annual dynamics of production in Eastern Africa in kind, 2018-2023, K t
2. 5.2. Global production by Country, 2018-2023
  1. 5.2.1. Annual dynamics of production by macroregions in kind, 2018-2023, K t
  2. 5.2.2. Dynamics of production structure by macroregions in kind, 2018-2023
  3. 5.2.3. Annual dynamics of production by country in kind, 2018-2023, K t
  4. 5.2.4. Structure of production by countries in kind, 2018-2023
  5. 5.2.5. Dynamics of peoduction structure by countries in kind, 2018-2023
6. Imports
1. 6.1. Imports (Direct Data*)
  1. 6.1.1. Imports - Total information
  2. 6.1.2. Imports in kind, t
    1. 6.1.2.1. Annual dynamics of product's imports to British Indian Ocean Territory in kind, 2018-2024, t
    2. 6.1.2.2. Dynamics of product's imports in kind to British Indian Ocean Territory by countries, 2018-2024, t
    3. 6.1.2.3. Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2018-2024
  3. 6.1.3. Imports in value, K $ US
    1. 6.1.3.1. Annual dynamics of product's imports to British Indian Ocean Territory in value, 2018-2024, K $ US
    2. 6.1.3.2. Dynamics of product's imports in value to British Indian Ocean Territory by countries, 2018-2024, K $ US
    3. 6.1.3.3. Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2018-2024
  4. 6.1.4. Average price of product's imports, $ US/t
    1. 6.1.4.1. Annual dynamics of average price of product's imports to British Indian Ocean Territory, 2018-2024, $ US/t
    2. 6.1.4.2. Dynamics of average price of product's imports to British Indian Ocean Territory by countries, 2018-2024, $ US/t
2. 6.2. Imports (Mirror Data)
  1. 6.2.1. Imports - Total information
  2. 6.2.2. Imports in kind, t
    1. 6.2.2.1. Annual dynamics of product's imports to British Indian Ocean Territory in kind, 2018-2024, t
    2. 6.2.2.2. Dynamics of product's imports in kind to British Indian Ocean Territory by countries, 2018-2024, t
    3. 6.2.2.3. Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2018-2024
  3. 6.2.3. Imports in value, K $ US
    1. 6.2.3.1. Annual dynamics of product's imports to British Indian Ocean Territory in value, 2018-2024, K $ US
    2. 6.2.3.2. Dynamics of product's imports in value to British Indian Ocean Territory by countries, 2018-2024, K $ US
    3. 6.2.3.3. Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2018-2024
  4. 6.2.4. Average price of product's imports, $ US/t
    1. 6.2.4.1. Annual dynamics of average price of product's imports to British Indian Ocean Territory, 2018-2024, $ US/t
    2. 6.2.4.2. Dynamics of average price of product's imports to British Indian Ocean Territory by countries, 2018-2024, $ US/t
7. Exports
1. 7.1. Exports (Direct Data*)
  1. 7.1.1. Exports - Total information
  2. 7.1.2. Exports in kind, t
    1. 7.1.2.1. Annual dynamics of product's exports from British Indian Ocean Territory in kind, 2018-2024, t
    2. 7.1.2.2. Dynamics of product's exports in kind from British Indian Ocean Territory by countries, 2018-2024, t
    3. 7.1.2.3. Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2018-2024
  3. 7.1.3. Exports in value, K $ US
    1. 7.1.3.1. Annual dynamics of product's exports from British Indian Ocean Territory in value, 2018-2024, K $ US
    2. 7.1.3.2. Dynamics of product's exports in value from British Indian Ocean Territory by countries, 2018-2024, K $ US
    3. 7.1.3.3. Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2018-2024
  4. 7.1.4. Average price of product's exports, $ US/t
    1. 7.1.4.1. Annual dynamics of average price of product's exports from British Indian Ocean Territory, 2018-2024, $ US/t
    2. 7.1.4.2. Dynamics of average price of product's exports from British Indian Ocean Territory by countries, 2018-2024, $ US/t
2. 7.2. Exports (Mirror Data)
  1. 7.2.1. Exports - Total information
  2. 7.2.2. Exports in kind, t
    1. 7.2.2.1. Annual dynamics of product's exports from British Indian Ocean Territory in kind, 2018-2024, t
    2. 7.2.2.2. Dynamics of product's exports in kind from British Indian Ocean Territory by countries, 2018-2024, t
    3. 7.2.2.3. Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2018-2024
  3. 7.2.3. Exports in value, K $ US
    1. 7.2.3.1. Annual dynamics of product's exports from British Indian Ocean Territory in value, 2018-2024, K $ US
    2. 7.2.3.2. Dynamics of product's exports in value from British Indian Ocean Territory by countries, 2018-2024, K $ US
    3. 7.2.3.3. Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2018-2024
  4. 7.2.4. Average price of product's exports, $ US/t
    1. 7.2.4.1. Annual dynamics of average price of product's exports from British Indian Ocean Territory, 2018-2024, $ US/t
    2. 7.2.4.2. Dynamics of average price of product's exports from British Indian Ocean Territory by countries, 2018-2024, $ US/t
8. Trade balance
1. 8.1. Trade balance (Direct Data)
  1. 8.1.1. In kind, t
  2. 8.1.2. In value, K $ US
2. 8.2. Trade balance (Mirror Data)
  1. 8.2.1. In kind, t
  2. 8.2.2. In value, K $ US
9. Top buying and selling countries, 2018-2024
1. 9.1. Direct Data
  1. 9.1.1. Import in Value by Countries-buyers
  2. 9.1.2. Export in Value by Countries-suppliers
2. 9.2. Mirror Data
  1. 9.2.1. Import in Value by Countries-buyers
  2. 9.2.2. Export in Value by Countries-suppliers

Production garlic in Eastern Africa

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Top producers of garlic, 2017-2020

Source: SHEV.io

World map of production of garlic, 2017-2020

Source: SHEV.io

Eastern Africa's garlic production volume declined after two years of growth. In 2019, production reached its peak at 322.5 thousand tonnes. However, in 2020, it dropped sharply to 254.0 thousand tonnes, representing a 21.2% decrease compared to the previous year. Over the period from 2017 to 2020, production increased by 17%, which translates to an annualized growth rate of 5.4%. The largest year-on-year increase occurred in 2018, when production rose by 47.0%.

Annual dynamics of production in Eastern Africa in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Parameter		2018	2019	2020	CAGR
1	Change from last year	47.0%	1.1%	(21.2%)	5.4%

Source: SHEV.io

Exports garlic from Eastern Africa

Exports in kind, t

Eastern Africa's garlic exports in 2020 amounted to 497 tonnes, marking a modest increase of 2.4% from the previous year. The highest export volume was recorded in 2018 at 982 tonnes, while the lowest was in 2019 at 486 tonnes. From 2017 to 2020, exports decreased by 38.3%, with a compound annual growth rate of -14.9%. The most significant decline occurred in 2019, with a drop of 50.5%, whereas the largest increase was in 2018, at 21.9%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Eastern Africa in kind, 2017-2020, t

Parameter		2018	2019	2020	CAGR
1	Change from last year	21.9%	(50.5%)	2.4%	(14.9%)

Source: SHEV.io

From 2017 to 2020, the main destinations for Eastern Africa's garlic exports by volume were Sudan, accounting for 17.5% of exports, France with 2.0%, and Angola at 0.8%. Together, these three countries represented 20.3% of total export volume.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

Source: SHEV.io

World map of product's exports from Eastern Africa in kind, 2017-2020

Source: SHEV.io

Exports in value, K $ US

After two years of decline, garlic exports from Eastern Africa saw an uptick. In 2020, export value totaled 871 thousand US dollars, reflecting a limited year-over-year improvement of 9.5%. The lowest value was recorded in 2019 at 795 thousand US dollars, which also saw the largest decline of 25.4%. Over the 2017-2020 period, export value decreased by 26.5%, equating to an annualized rate of -9.8%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Eastern Africa in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Parameter		2018	2019	2020	CAGR
1	Change from last year	(10.1%)	(25.4%)	9.5%	(9.8%)

Source: SHEV.io

Between 2017 and 2020, the key markets for Eastern Africa's garlic exports by value were Sudan, with a 23.6% share, France at 10.3%, and Angola contributing 2.3%. Collectively, these three markets accounted for 36.2% of total export value.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

Source: SHEV.io

World map of product's exports from Eastern Africa in value, 2017-2020

Source: SHEV.io

Imports garlic to Eastern Africa

Imports in kind, t

Eastern Africa's garlic imports have increased for the third consecutive year. In 2020, import volume reached 15 950 tonnes, showing a gradual year-over-year gain of 6.0%. From 2017 to 2020, imports grew by 67.5%, which corresponds to an annualized growth rate of 18.8%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Eastern Africa in kind, 2017-2020, t

Parameter		2018	2019	2020	CAGR
1	Change from last year	45.5%	8.6%	6.0%	18.8%

Source: SHEV.io

Throughout the 2017-2020 period, China dominated Eastern Africa's garlic imports by volume, holding an 87.0% share. The remaining volume was distributed among numerous other countries, each with smaller individual shares.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

Source: SHEV.io

World map of product's imports to Eastern Africa in kind, 2017-2020

Source: SHEV.io

Imports in value, K $ US

Eastern Africa's garlic imports have risen for the third year in a row. In 2020, import value amounted to 13 874 thousand US dollars, up by 18.0% compared to the previous year. Over the 2017-2020 span, import value increased by 41.7%, translating to an annualized growth rate of 12.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Eastern Africa in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Parameter		2018	2019	2020	CAGR
1	Change from last year	17.2%	2.4%	18.0%	12.3%

Source: SHEV.io

From 2017 to 2020, China remained the dominant source for Eastern Africa's garlic imports by value, capturing 86.4% of total imports. The remainder was fragmented across various other markets.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

Source: SHEV.io

World map of product's imports to Eastern Africa in value, 2017-2020

Source: SHEV.io