Melon seeds market in Eastern Africa

Earlier Report Observations

From 2018 to 2023, the melon seed market in Eastern Africa demonstrated notable stability, with annual volumes consistently hovering around 24,000 tons. The market reached its peak in 2019 at 24,067 tons, followed by a period of mild fluctuation and a slight contraction to 23,755 tons by 2023.

The minor dip in market volume in 2023 was influenced by concurrent supply chain disruptions and rising production costs, which impacted seed availability and pricing. During the same period, growing health consciousness and the emergence of new, nutrient-rich seed varieties began shaping consumer demand, though these factors did not offset the logistical and cost pressures affecting total supply.

Entering 2024, industry efforts focused on overcoming previous constraints through the adoption of advanced farming techniques like drip irrigation and improved access to certified, disease-free seeds. Initiatives to combat counterfeit seeds, such as the introduction of scratch-off label verification in Kenya, aimed to strengthen market integrity, while global trends favoring plant-based snacks continued to underpin the sector's fundamentals.

Production melon seeds in Eastern Africa

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of melon seeds, 2017-2020

World map of production of melon seeds, 2017-2020

Eastern Africa's melon seeds production saw growth for two consecutive years before declining. In 2019, production reached its peak at 24 033 tonnes. However, in 2020, output dropped slightly to 23 626 tonnes, representing a 1.7% decrease from the previous year. The most significant year-on-year increase occurred in 2018, when production rose by 1.8%.

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

Exports melon seeds from Eastern Africa

Exports in kind, kg

The export market for melon seeds from Eastern Africa showed considerable volatility during this period. In 2019, exports hit their lowest point at just 1 020 kilograms, marking a substantial decline of 71.2% from the previous year. By contrast, 2020 saw a dramatic turnaround, with exports surging to 35 060 kilograms – a remarkable 3 336.9% increase year-over-year. This created a 34-fold difference between the export volumes of these two years.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Eastern Africa in kind, 2017-2020, kg

Between 2017 and 2020, three countries accounted for more than half of Eastern Africa's melon seeds exports by volume. South Africa was the largest destination, receiving 27.7% of exports, followed by Malaysia with 16.3% and the Netherlands with 12.0%. Together, these three markets represented 56.1% of total export flows.

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

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

Exports in value, K $ US

Export values for melon seeds from Eastern Africa followed an unstable pattern throughout the observed timeframe. In 2019, export revenue reached its minimum at 44 thousand US dollars, reflecting an 82.5% decrease from the previous year. The situation reversed dramatically in 2020, when exports generated 719 thousand US dollars – a steep 1 517.6% increase year-over-year. This represented a 16-fold difference between the export values of these two years.

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

From 2017 to 2020, the Netherlands dominated Eastern Africa's melon seeds exports by value, accounting for 60.5% of total export revenue. The United States was the second-largest market with 16.2%, while South Africa contributed 1.5%. Collectively, these three destinations represented 78.1% of the total export value during this period.

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

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

Imports melon seeds to Eastern Africa

Imports in kind, kg

Eastern Africa's imports of melon seeds showed significant growth over the 2017-2020 period, increasing by 55.7% overall with a compound annual growth rate of 15.9%. In 2019, imports reached their lowest point at 34 872 kilograms, representing a 26.8% decline from the previous year. However, 2020 saw a sharp recovery, with imports jumping to 56 996 kilograms – a substantial 63.4% increase compared to 2019.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Eastern Africa in kind, 2017-2020, kg

Throughout the 2017-2020 period, India was overwhelmingly the dominant source of melon seeds imports to Eastern Africa by volume, accounting for 83.2% of total imports. All other supplying countries held significantly smaller market shares during this timeframe.

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

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

Imports in value, K $ US

The value of melon seeds imports to Eastern Africa exhibited volatility during the observed period. In 2019, import expenditure reached its minimum at 1 117 thousand US dollars, reflecting a 46.2% decrease from the previous year. The following year saw a sharp reversal, with import values climbing to 2 359 thousand US dollars in 2020 – a 111.2% increase year-over-year. This created a 2.1-fold difference between the import values of these two years.

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

Between 2017 and 2020, India completely dominated Eastern Africa's melon seeds imports by value, accounting for 90.3% of total import expenditure. No other market came close to matching India's overwhelming share during this period.

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

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