Tanzania is set to begin exporting avocado to India, a move that aims to build bilateral trade ties and enable farmers to get higher returns for their produce.
Traditionally, about 80% of the avocados grown in the East African country are consumed locally, but agricultural economists say exports will help develop the sector. In 2003, India imposed an import embargo on avocados imported from Africa due to concerns that the fruits might be infested with dangerous pests.
Foreign market
Agriculture Deputy Minister Anthony Mavunde said than now India’s health authorities have allowed the entry of the highly nutritious fruit from Tanzania following lengthy negotiations. Smallholder farmers in the northern Kilimanjaro region and from the southern highlands are set to benefit from the deal. Tanzania’s current avocado export destinations include China, the USA, and South Africa, which only recently granted Tanzanian avocados access to its market.
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“Tanzanian stakeholders plus growers will immensely benefit from this opportunity as the overseas market will help improve their livelihoods by providing a reliable market for their produce. As a champion of horticulture in the country, TAHA played a central role in supporting the government to persuade the Indian government to open up its market to Tanzania,” Jacqueline Mkindi, the group CEO of the Tanzania Horticulture Association (TAHA), said.
