The demand for avocados around the world is strong and is still rising. Many people have become aware of the numerous health benefits of the avocado. Avocado is also the food that fits all the dietary lifestyles and restrictions that exist today.
Avocados fit into a variety of healthy eating patterns because they are the only fruit that contains monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fat, also known as the good fat, is associated with reduced risk of heart disease. Avocados are not only sodium free but also cholesterol free.
Tanzania Avocado Export
The avocado business in Tanzania is quickly gaining speed due to the huge global demand for avocados. Over the last decade, Tanzania has developed an entirely new avocado export industry.
Tanzania is the third largest avocado producer in Africa after South Africa and Kenya. In 2020, Tanzania exported nearly 9,000 tonnes of avocado valued at US30 million dollars. In 2019, avocado exports from Tanzania reached nearly 8,500 metric tons. This is a jump from 2018 when the export volume was about 7,600 metric tons.
According to the International Trade Centre (ITC), Tanzania’s share in the global avocado market increased from 0.1% to 0.4% during this period. The Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) says avocado exports have grown massively since 2013.
Here are the total export volumes of avocados from Tanzania:
- 1,400 tonnes in 2013
- 1,877 tonnes in 2014
- 3,279 tonnes in 2015
- 4,400 tonnes in 2017
As of 2019, the export value of avocados from Tanzania was estimated at US21.5 million dollars. In the last 10 years, earnings from the fruit have greatly increased in the country.
Here are the total values in export for avocados from Tanzania between 2009 and 2019:
- US6,000 dollars in 2009
- US25,000 dollars in 2010
- US22,000 dollars in 2011
- US418,000 dollars in 2012
- US1.9 million dollars in 2013
- US899,000 dollars in 2014
- US1.3 million dollars in 2015
- US2.1 million dollars in 2016
- US4.6 million dollars in 2017
- US8.6 million dollars in 2018
- US21.5 million dollars in 2019
The major destination of avocados from Tanzania is Europe. The European Union (EU) market imports 85% of Tanzanian avocado exports. In 2018, Tanzania exported avocados to:
- France (3,133 metric tons)
- The Netherlands (2,304 metric tons)
- The United Kingdom (1,193 metric tons)
Other export destinations for Tanzania avocados are in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Tanzania can sell avocados to India and South Africa. TAHA and the government of Tanzania are working to open the China avocado market which is valued at US133 million dollars.
In 2021, South Africa granted market access to avocados produced in Tanzania which ended a 10-year standoff. This is good news for Tanzanian growers because South Africa imports the fruit during its off season to supplement the local supply. By the end of January 2022, Tanzania exported its first avocados to India, a total of two tonnes.
Avocado Value Chain in Tanzania
In Tanzania, avocado farming is gaining popularity and this has led to larger export volumes year after year. Commercial avocado farming is the first step in the avocado supply chain in Tanzania. The steps that follow include:
- Harvesting
- Processing
- Packaging
- Transportation
- Exporting
- Retailing
Certain avocado varieties from Tanzania reach the global market in December and stay until September. An avocado orchard in Tanzania takes at least three years to reach maturity and 7–10 years to be profitable.
Commercial production is concentrated around a small number of large-scale avocado growers who are thinly spaced across the growing regions. But cultivation of avocado is rapidly gaining traction among the small-scale farmers due to their awareness of the global opportunities.
Here are the things you need to know about the avocado supply chain in Tanzania:
- Avocados are harvested or picked by hand using ladders, picking poles and where slopes permit, hydraulic picking platforms.
- Post harvesting practices include:
- Chemical treatment
- Drying
- Polishing
- Grading
- Packing
- Once packed, avocados are shipped in refrigerated containers via the port of Mombasa in Kenya. This is done mostly by producers from the Mt Kilimanjaro region because it is less than 400km away on the new road link. Producers in the Mt Rungwe region also have the option of shipping via the port of Dar es Salaam.
Although vessel sailing times to Europe from Dar es Salaam are longer (up to 45 days), compared to between 18-25 days to Southern European ports and 28-36 days to Northern European ports from Mombasa.
- Some Fuerte avocado producers in Tanzania transport their fruit to the export market via air from the Julius Nyerere International Airport.
The general quality requirements for fresh avocados for export in Tanzania include:
- Must be mature but not ripe or soft. But they should be mature enough to ripen normally and arrive at the market with the optimum degree of ripeness.
- Maturity must be uniform throughout the package.
- Must be of similar varietal characteristics (shape, texture and skin colour)
- Must be intact
- Must be clean and sound
- Must be free from pests
- Must be free from damage
- Must be free from abnormal external moisture
- Must have a stalk no longer than 10mm
- Must be able to withstand transport and handling
Avocado Companies in Tanzania
Global demand for avocados is outpacing supply and so export markets for good quality avocados are readily available.
Here is a top avocado exporter in Tanzania.
Freshela Exporters
Freshela is a company that engages in the sourcing, processing and exporting of avocados and other fresh produce such as mango, pineapple, banana, vegetables and herbs.
Freshela is a proud exporter of Tanzania avocados. Our avocados are organically grown in the most ideal climatic conditions in Tanzania.
We source avocados from our company farms and partner farms. Our partner farmers are proud and happy working with us.
Our avocados are cultivated with uncompromising dedication to excellence and freshness. We guarantee optimum maturity of avocados.
We give competitive pricing to our customers.
We use a modern grading machine to achieve desired avocado weight. The fruit is also graded to eliminate any with physical quality defects.
We pack avocado fruit in 4kg cartons for both air and sea freights. We use dry wooden pallets to pack the cartons. Each pallet for sea freight takes 276 cartons while each pallet for air freight takes 144 cartons.
All of our avocado packing is approved by FDA and is certified by HACCP Quality Assurance.
The avocados in our pack house go through accurate machine selection. The avocados are classified according to dry meter, size, colour and external skin defects.
After packing, we pre-cool our avocados to 5°C in our cold rooms. This reduces field heat immediately after packing.
This process conserves the weight of our avocados preventing them from softening, water loss and wilting. Long shelf life is guaranteed because our avocados stay fresh throughout the supply chain. Our customers are happy because of the high quality of avocado we deliver.
The pre-cooling process is in preparation for shipping. We maintain the cold temperatures and achieve consistent preservation by loading close to the cold rooms.
Our trained staff properly seal the refrigerated containers. Our quality assurance team then confirms before the containers leave the pack house. The avocados are now ready for export.
We ship in controlled atmosphere (CA) refrigerated containers (reefer.) We ship Tanzania avocados to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
By working directly with avocado growers and cooperatives, we are able to deliver our produce within a short lead time. We believe that growers grow and exporters export. That is how our growers are able to do what they do best and in return we guarantee superior, quality produce.
Avocado Supply Chain Issues in Tanzania
Introduction of the Global Agricultural Practices (GAP) to farmers and primary producers is still new in Tanzania. Many of them are learning about GAP for the first time.
Logistical barriers continue to hamper the efficiency of the avocado value chain and exports in Tanzania. The challenges include:
- Poor transportation
- Lack of enough capital
- Limited available land due to unconducive laws guiding land and property acquisition, ownership and compensation
- Limited cold room handling facilities at the two main ports
- Fewer shipping lines in Tanzania
Trade barriers and overregulation hinder the productivity and competitiveness of Tanzania avocados. If the primary producers fail to pass the cost of regulations on to consumers, the farmers are forced to bear the increased regulatory costs.
Avocado Export Business in Tanzania
As the Tanzanian avocado industry blossoms, smart policies are needed to promote competitiveness, create jobs and generate wealth and economic development. Some of these measures include:
- The government should give technical assistance to small holder farmers.
- Local certification institutes in Tanzania should be added for required standards such as Global GAP and other food safety and sustainability standards.
- The government should increase shipping options by putting up more freight lines at the port of Dar es Salaam.
- The government should reduce redundant regulations faced by avocado farmers in Tanzania. This will also maximize the net benefits to exporters.
- Players in the avocado industry in Tanzania should introduce innovative ways such as
- Mentor entrepreneurs
- Decode trade certifications
- Ease access to finance
- Invest more in research and innovation
- Networking and link micro, small and medium enterprises with established exporters to assist them penetrate regional and international markets