The Arusha-based organisation is currently engaging over 500 small-scale banana growers in Kilimanjaro in its latest efforts to unleash the crop’s full potential to hook a lion’s share of the East Africa’s annual export value of $4.3 billion.
Taha Group CEO Jacqueline Mkindi told The Citizen that she has deployed a team of agronomists and marketers in Rombo District to improve banana agronomy practices for small-scale farmers on the eastern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Launching the training, Taha chief development manager Anthony Chamanga said Rombo – being the country’s major banana producer with a 230,000 metric tonnes a year – has the great potential to be a bread basket and guarantee food security, nutrition for consumers, create jobs and generate incomes.
Courtesy of USAID and USDA-funded Commercial Horticulture for Transformed Economy (Chote), Taha with a wide range of skills and a strong linkage with a local, regional and international markets would unleash the potential not only of the banana crop, but also the whole horticulture value chains.
Gracing the event, Rombo MP Adolf Mkenda urged key players, including financial institutions, seedlings suppliers, water authorities and off takers to join forces in a bid to commercialise the banana crop.
During the exercise, Prof Mkenda, who is also the Minister of Education, witnessed the distribution of the 60,000 culture banana tissues suitable for international export and domestic consumption to small-scale farmers.
Other stakeholders present during the event included Minjingu Mines and Fertilizers, Agricultural Seeds Agency (ASA), NMB Bank and key food processors.
Official statistics indicate that Tanzania produces 3.5 million tons of bananas annually.
However, dealers say that pests and diseases, nutrient deficiencies and drought stress continue to affect average productivity and quality of banana.
East Africa Fruits official Firmina Joseph said that much as it seems like banana are plenty, however, in reality the fruits do not meet the market demand because of poor quality.
“Quality is the greatest challenge on our part as traders. Banana we purchase from farmers are very poor in quality, very tinny and therefore do not meet the market standards,” she noted.
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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
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