TAHA extends its wings to United Kingdom as it seeks to grab market prospects
The Tanzania horticulture champion has also introduced Maarten Boeye as its business specialist tasked to support Tanzanian exporters.
FRIDAY February 7, 2025
By Adam Ihucha
The Tranquility News Correspondent, Tanzania
In a strategic move to strengthen Tanzania’s horticultural export industry, the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) has announced the opening of its new office in the UK.
This expansion, unveiled at TAHA’s just concluded 18th Annual General Meeting, is part of the Horticultural Exports Accelerator Program (HEAP), a key initiative designed to bolster Tanzania’s presence in the global market, particularly in the UK.
The new office in the UK aims at broadening access for Tanzanian fruits, vegetables, and spices, providing a stronger platform to connect with international buyers and boost export volumes and values.
“This venture is a critical step in our painstaking efforts to expand market access for Tanzanian horticultural produce,” the TAHA CEO, Dr Jacqueline Mkindi, announced before memberbs at the AGM.
The office will be strategically located within the Tanzanian High Commission building in the UK, facilitating seamless communication and close collaboration with key exporters and stakeholders, showcasing a true spirit of public-private partnership in accessing markets for Tanzanian farmers.
Dr Mkindi also introduced Mr Maarten Boeye, a seasoned business specialist, who has been hired by TAHA to support Tanzanian exporters.
Mr Boeye’s role will focus on aiding exporters with logistics and connecting them to buyers in the UK and beyond.
He will spearhead efforts to grow Tanzania’s horticultural exports in the UK through the HEAP initiative.
“This initiative is generously supported by the UK government and its strategic partners, including Palladium impact, which manages the UK-Tanzania Green Growth Facility (GGF),” Dr Mkindi explained.
In his maiden address to the AGM, Mr Boeye assured TAHA members of his commitment to enhancing export services and exploring new market opportunities for Tanzanian horticultural products.
This initiative is generously supported by the UK government and its strategic partners, including Palladium impact, which manages the UK-Tanzania Green Growth Facility (GGF),” Dr Jacqueline Mkindi, the CEO of Tanzania Horticultural Association.
He emphasized his dedication to opening up potential markets not only in the UK but also in Belgium, The Netherlands, India, and the Gulf region, in his mission to expand Tanzania’s market outreach.
This expansion comes as a welcome strategy, especially now when the global market is facing a number of challenges raging from logistics to government-to-government relations and trade wars.
“I will work to open additional markets for spices like Vanilla,” he said, pointing at Dubai, India, and China as potential areas for expansion.
In an exciting development for Tanzanian exporters, TAHA is leading a high-profile business mission of 24 participants, including beneficiaries from the HEAP programme to showcase their products at the ongoing prestigious European Fruit Logistica 2025 trade fair in Berlin.
This trade show is a significant opportunity for Tanzania’s agricultural exporters, spearheaded by products like avocados, bitter gourds, ginger, bananas, chilies, French beans, and eggplants which are exhibited at the ongoing international fair.
Such international platforms enable these exporters to explore and establish alternative markets across Asia, Europe, India, South Africa, and China.
“This diversification is critical to overcoming logistical challenges like the notorious Red Sea crisis, which has posed significant hurdles in transportation and efficient supply chain management,” Dr Mkindi noted.
The Red Sea logistical crisis has been a persistent issue, affecting smooth trade flow and causing delays and increased costs for exporters.
Establishing robust supply chain alternatives and exploring untapped markets can provide a buffer against such logistical challenges, ensuring that Tanzanian produce reaches global consumers efficiently, and in the optimum quality as per consumers’ demand without additional costs to Tanzanian exporters.
Strategically, Tanzania may find it advantageous to strengthen its trade partnership with The Netherlands, a key player in the global horticultural market.
The Netherlands serves as a crucial trading hub, owing to its excellent logistical infrastructure and expertise in the horticultural sub-sector.
By boosting trade relations and collaborations with Dutch counterparts, Tanzania can benefit from improved market access and ensure a stable supply chain for its agricultural exports.
These efforts align with Tanzania’s broader goals to enhance its presence in global markets and capitalise on the expanding demand for fresh produce worldwide.
The HEAP programme, with the slogan of “Race to $2 Billion”, is being implemented by TAHA in close collaboration with the Tanzanian High Commission in the UK.
The goal is to significantly boost Tanzania’s horticultural exports to the UK and European markets, with a target of reaching out to $2 billion in export value by 2030.
The HEAP initiative, launched last year, aims to empower Tanzanian producers by providing them with the resources and knowledge to meet the stringent requirements of international markets.
“HEAP will equip local export companies with tools they need for becoming competitive and taking full advantage of free trade deals in the international markets, and also within the African trading blocs,” Dr Mkindi said.
Focused on enhancing the entire horticultural value chain, the programme is designed to help Tanzanian companies to increase their export volumes and establish long-term partnerships with UK and European counterparts.
To date, 20 Tanzanian horticultural export companies have been approved for support under HEAP, further demonstrating TAHA’s commitment to improving the global competitiveness of Tanzanian produce.
Key programme areas include capacity building, fostering robust trade linkages, and ensuring adherence to international standards. This holistic approach ensures local producers not only thrive in domestic markets but also compete effectively on the global stageΩ
