ATCL’s cargo flights to China game-changing for avocado exporters

Arusha. The commencement of direct cargo flights to Guangzhou by Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) planes is a game changer, as horticultural industry players say it offers a strategic connectivity to the lucrative Chinese market.

The maiden Air Tanzania direct cargo flight from Dar es Salaam to Guangzhou, China successfully commenced on January 12, 2025, offering a ray of hope to a Tanzania’s multi-million dollar horticultural industry.

With a capacity of 54 tonnes, the Boeing 767 freighter, can fly up to 10 hours without refueling, making the perfect cargo aircraft for Air Tanzania, whose mission is helping to grow the country’s commerce by offering fastest and reliable model of logistics.

The horticultural industry champion, Ms Jacqueline Mkindi, says the cargo plane offers exporters with alternative fastest and most reliable connectivity to unconventional, but recently opened lucrative Chinese market.

“The freighter opens up enormous opportunities for horticultural crops and perishables exporters to grow their businesses, as it connects them with untraditional, but competitive customers in China,” Ms Mkindi who is the CEO of the Tanzania Horticultural Association (Taha) said.

She encouraged Tanzanian exporters to harness the market potential and take advantage of competitive rates and cargo space offered by the Boeing 767 freighter aircraft.

Ms Mkindi says the ATCL direct cargo flightS to China virtually complement the initiatives of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, of unlocking China’s $174 million market for Tanzanian-grown avocado, in her deliberate efforts to transform the country’s horticultural industry into a real ‘green gold’ to generate quick money for boosting the national foreign currency reserve.

According to Ms Mkindi, the President’s initiative aligns with Tanzania’s national strategy to increase horticultural export value to $2 billion annually by 2030, up from the current $420 million.

This could also create significant employment opportunities for youth and women along the value chain by 2030.

Air Tanzania on December 2024 received approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), China’s Aviation Regulator to commence direct cargo flights from Dar es Salaam to Guangzhou, China.

This significant milestone provides a substantial boost to avocado exporters in Tanzania, heralding enhanced business prospects and offering a beacon of hope to local farmers.

The direct cargo green light came just a month after an inaugural container, laden with Tanzanian-grown organic avocados, made a historic arrival in China on 18 November 2024.

These two moments mark a key turning point for the industry, as experts expect it to become a financial bonanza for farmers and exporters alike.

Ms Mkindi highlighted the mutual benefits for both nations: “The move will be beneficial to the butter fruit exporters as it will cut transport time for avocados to reach Chinese consumers with optimum quality.

It’s an advantage for both local farmers, who gain access to international markets, and Chinese consumers, who will enjoy fresh avocados.”

Previously, a sea shipment containing 24 metric tonnes of Hass avocados, valued at $18,500, took 22 days to travel through Mombasa port in Kenya to Hong Kong Port.

In contrast, the flight time from Dar es Salaam to Beijing is only around 12 hours and 12 minutes, dramatically reducing delivery time to just one day.

 Ms. Mkindi also extended her gratitude to development partners like the TradeMark Africa (TMA) and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and for their unwavering support in facilitating international market access.

“We are thankful to partners like TMA and Sida for their support in unlocking opportunities for farmers. Together, we are expanding horizons and creating a brighter future for Tanzania’s horticultural industry,” she noted.

With a population of over 1.4 billion, China — which is the 10th leading importer of avocado globally — is now likely to become Tanzania’s next leading destination for fresh avocados, that have traditionally been restricted to Europe and the Middle East.

Despite being the third-largest avocado producer in Africa after South Africa and Kenya, Tanzanian farmers have largely failed to access the export market for their produce, owing to a lack of SPS measures for the butter fruit to access some international markets, as was the case with the Sino market.