Tanzania Avocado Exports Gets Boost from South Africa and India, China is Next

The Tanzanian avocado exporters recently enjoyed a structural boost when the Department of Agriculture of South Africa granted market access to the importation of avocados on 16th November 2021.

In addition, on 29th November 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture of Tanzania published a circular informing that the Indian Plant Health Authority allowed for the first time to export avocados from Tanzania to India, as per notice S.O. 4870 (E) of the Indian Gazette dated 25th November 2021.

South Africa Avocado Market

South Africa has about 800 hectares of new avocado plantings annually. However, the country cannot meet demand and had to source its avocados from Tanzania at the start of 2021.

But in early 2021, South Africa blocked avocado shipments from Tanzania’s large-scale producer Rob Clowes at the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa over a lack of phytosanitary documents.

Also seized were avocados from the Moravian Farming Company PVT Limited.

Consequently, Tanzania’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa announced in August 2021 that the government was finalizing negotiations with South Africa to allow again the export of avocados to the latter.

Commenting on the achievement, Jacqueline Mkindi, CEO of the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA), wrote on its Twitter page that “Local exporters & growers laugh all the way to the bank now.”

She added that her organization is now eyeing to unlock the Chinese market with 1.4 billion consumers, offering a sprawling market for Tanzanian avocados.

For that, TAHA is working closely with the government to fast-track protocol with China to enjoy this huge potential market with an annual demand of avocado at around 43,860 metric tons (tonnes), valued at USD 133.38 million.

Tanzania Avocado Cluster

Tanzania is the third largest avocado produce in Africa, after South Africa and Kenya.

In May 2021, TAHA inaugurated Tanzania’s first avocado cluster for farmers in the northern zone regions.

According to the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), in 2018 Tanzania exported 7,551 tons of avocado with a total value of USD 8.5 million to Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The top export destinations are France and the Netherlands. Together, the two markets accounted for more than three-quarters of this product’s exports between 2014 and 2018. The United Kingdom came third with 14% of exports.