Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture, through the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA), has successfully opened the Chinese market for avocados.
The Director General of TPHPA Professor Joseph Ndunguru made the announcement on 1st September 2024, highlighting that the approved avocado varieties for export to China include Hass, Fuerte, and Pinkerton.
This development comes as a result of the successful negotiations and the signing of a phytosanitary protocol in 2022 between Tanzania and China.
In addition to avocados, Tanzanian sunflower seed cakes are also now eligible for export to China.
Professor Ndunguru also emphasized the importance of registration for avocado exporters with the China Customs Authority (GACC) through TPHPA.
“From now on, all registered farms and those that will be registered to export avocados to China must adhere more closely to farming practices and integrated pest management to control destructive pests like fruit flies and moths,” he explained.
Additionally, all production farms, packaging facilities, and fumigation companies must be registered with TPHPA and obtain an identification number.
These procedures are part of the implementation of the bilateral cooperation protocol, which covers processing, packaging, storage, and transportation.
With this new market opening, Tanzania is set to strengthen its position in the global avocado market, following successful entries into the European market.
Tanzania Avocado Production Exports
Tanzania ranks as the third-largest avocado producer in Africa, following South Africa and Kenya, and the 19th country in the world.
The latest figures indicate that Tanzania produces an average of 190,000 tons of avocado fruits per year.
Tanzania’s avocado exports increased from 17,711.49 tons, valued at USD 51 million in 2021/2022, to 26,826.30 tons, valued at USD 77.3 million in 2022/2023.
Tanzania’s avocados are exported to European markets such as Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the UK, as well as South Africa and India.
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