After ProFound brokered a deal for the supply of steel drums to Ethiopia, the first container with drums for honey packaging arrived at the processing company Babichi. The empty drums came from ProFound’s partner in Europe who is interested in supplying drums in return for quality honey.
The drums are crucial for Babichi and other Ethiopian honey suppliers to successfully export to Europe, because many European buyers only accept honey packed in steel drums. The use of plastic drums poses a higher risk of quality deterioration during transport and storage and they may collapse when stacked.
ProFound studied various options for the supply of steel drums. We are currently advising a company in Ethiopia about the feasibility of manufacturing drums for the Ethiopian market, but we also found a short-term practical solution with our partner in Europe. The supply of empty drums to Europe in return for honey creates a win-win situation for both the European honey importer and the Ethiopian exporters.