DODOMA — TANZANIA’S avocado farmers are poised for a significant economic boost as China has authorised local companies to export avocados directly to its market worth slightly over 150 million US dollars (about 408.7bn/-).
The Ministry of Agriculture has officially informed the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) that China has been accepting avocados produced in Tanzania since August 14, 2024.
Dr Jacqueline Mkindi, CEO of TAHA, mentioned that the effort to access the Chinese market began in 2018 when the association recognised its potential.
They wrote a letter to the Government the Ministry of Agriculture, urging them to use official and diplomatic channels to open up the market.
“We are grateful to the Ministry for their leadership and efforts.
Their proactive response and collaboration were crucial in this process.
Their commitment to helping us enter this market is commendable,” said Dr Mkindi.
She also thanked the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for their valuable participation, stating that it significantly contributed to the initiatives and helped the country achieve this milestone.
Agriculture Minister, Mr Hussein Bashe, informed TAHA members that the government was finalising the official procedures for China to open its market to Tanzanian-grown avocados.
China’s increasing demand for avocados, driven by a health-conscious middle class, has made the fruit a popular choice in the country’s imported fruit market.
Despite being the third-largest avocado producer in Africa, Tanzanian farmers have struggled to access export markets due to the lack of a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement.
With a population of over 1.4 billion, China, currently the 10th largest avocado importer globally, is expected to become Tanzania’s primary market for avocados.
This is a shift from traditional export markets in Europe and the Middle East.
During President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s state visit to Beijing, Tanzania and China signed a protocol on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements, allowing Tanzanian avocados to enter China’s vast market.
Dr Mkindi expressed her excitement, stating that China’s decision would benefit local farmers and strengthen trade relations between the two nations.
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She praised President Samia for her diplomatic efforts that led to the opening of the lucrative Chinese market after six years of TAHA’s efforts.
According to Dr 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 US dollars.
This could also create employment opportunities for youth and women along the value chain. Tanzania’s avocado industry is expected to experience sub stantial growth between 2023 and 2033.
In 2023, avocado exports from Tanzania totaled 26,826.3 metric tonnes, generating revenue of approximately 73 million US Projections from the International Trade Centre (ITC) suggest that by 2033, production could reach 393,669 metric tonnes, with exports projected to reach 236,201.5 metric tonnes, potentially generating revenues of 449 million US dollars.
“This significant increase in production and exports will lead to a substantial boost in revenue and economic opportunities,” Dr Mkindi explained.
Local farmers are likely to see increased incomes, enabling them to invest in advanced farming techniques and technologies to reduce post-harvest losses.
Source: allafrica.com
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‘No Marburg Confirmed In Tanzania’, But Mpox Remains ‘Public Health Emergency’
Monrovia — The Director General of the African Centers for Disease Control, Jean Kaseya, has said the center stands ready to support Tanzania and other countries in the region where suspected cases of the infectious Marburg Virus Disease have been identified. The World Health Organization earlier this week issued an alert warning of a possible outbreak in the country, although the Tanzanian Health Ministry has said tests conducted on available samples did not show the existence of Marburg in the East African nation.
“As of the 15 of January 2025, laboratory results from all suspected individuals were negative for Marburg Virus,” Tanzanian Health Minister Jenista Mhagama said in a statement. This would have marked the country’s second experience with the highly infectious disease that recently killed over a dozen people in neighboring Rwanda. Tanzania previously reported an outbreak of Marburg in 2023 in the Kegara region, said to have been the epicenter of the new suspected cases.
At the Africa CDC online briefing on Thursday, Kaseya also said another infectious disease, Mpox, “remains a public health concern”. He said that while in December 2024, the disease had afflicted 20 countries, a new country – Sierra Leone – has been added to the number after recent outbreak there. Sierra Leonean health authorities said on January 10 that two cases of Mpox had been confirmed in the country and dozens of contacts are being traced.
With thousands of confirmed cases of Mpox across Africa and more than 1000 people having died of the disease – mainly in Central Africa – Kaseya emphasized the need to increase testing, a theme he’s heralded before. The Africa CDC boss said over the next few months the continental health watchdog will deploy additional epidemiologists and community health workers to areas considered hot spots of infectious diseases in the region.
Source: allafrica.com
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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