Tanzania harvests export deals worth $12.6m at Fruit Logistica 2025 trade fair
The show has also attracted attention from eight UK companies interested in sourcing a variety of spices, including ginger, passion fruits, beans, and herbs.
SATURDAY February 15, 2025
By Adam Ihucha
The Tranquility News Correspondent, Berlin
Tanzania emerged top performer at the just concluded Fruit Logistica 2025 exhibition in Berlin, Germany, showcasing its prowess in the horticultural industry by sealing multi-million dollars’ worth of deals with prominent international buyers.
The fair highlighted Tanzania’s growing reputation as a key player in the global horticultural market, with significant multiplier effects for employment and foreign exchange earnings back home.
A final report from a key horticultural industry player, TAHA, indicates that Tanzanian exporters have signed numerous export agreements for horticultural crops worth $12.6 million combined, another significant step towards attaining the $2 billion export value by 2030
Notably, a key player in the Tanzanian horticultural landscape has secured contracts to supply 500 metric tonnes of red sugar beans for 10 months valued at $4.4 million.
The same company also sealed a deal of supplying 125 tonnes of kidney beans to major global suppliers of agricultural commodities worth $1.1 million per ten months.
Furthermore, a UK-based company has committed to import six 40-feet containers of Tanzanian-grown avocados per week, destined for the Indian market translating into $7.1 million in transaction for 10 a month’s period.
This engagement is instrumental in expanding our market reach, significantly boosting our horticultural exports over the years,” Ambassador Hassan Idd Mwamweta, the Tanzania Ambassador to Germany.
In addition to these achievements, Tanzania has attracted the attention of eight UK companies interested in sourcing a variety of spices, particularly ginger, passion fruits, beans, and herbs, further diversifying export opportunities and bolstering Tanzania’s position in the international market.
TAHA’s UK Trade Specialist, Mr Maarten Boeye, says that talks on volumes and prices for spices are underway and deals would be signed in the nearest future.
The successful participation and deals at Fruit Logistica 2025 are expected to translate into new employment opportunities and increased foreign currency inflows for Tanzania, underscoring the vital role of the horticultural sub-sector in the country’s economic growth and development.
Some of the orders will be managed and executed under TAHA’s newly introduced Horticultural Exports Accelerator Program (HEAP), which aims at streamlining and boosting the efficiency of Tanzanian horticultural exports.
Last year, TAHA launched the HEAP programme as part of its latest strategy to bolster horticultural exports to the UK and European markets.
Currently, 20 Tanzanian horticultural export companies have been selected to receive support under HEAP to gain and enhance access to the UK markets.
The HEAP initiative, backed by the UK government and strategic partners like Palladium Impact, aims at elevating Tanzania’s horticultural exports on the global stage.
The HEAP initiative, backed by the UK government and strategic partners like Palladium Impact, aims at elevating Tanzania’s horticultural exports on the global stage.
The programme is working toward the $2 billion export target by 2030, supporting Tanzanian producers through training and partnerships to meet international market standards.
As Tanzania continues expanding its reach in global markets, it sets a benchmark for excellence in agricultural exports across Africa.
“I earnestly extend my heartfelt appreciation to all exporters for taking part in the just-ended Fruit Logistica 2025 in Berlin.
“This engagement is instrumental in expanding our market reach, significantly boosting our horticultural exports over the years,” said Ambassador Hassan Idd Mwamweta, the Tanzanian Ambassador to Germany.
Ambassador Mwamweta is particularly credited for his exceptional efforts in linking Tanzanian businesses with European buyers, exemplifying his commitment to economic diplomacy.
The Tanzanian delegation to the prestigious exhibition included 24 horticultural exporters, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA), TAHA, Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) and the representatives of Avocado Society of Tanzania (ASTA).
“We sincerely thank our development partner, Trade Mark Africa (TMA), Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB), the Tanzanian Ambassador to Germany, HE Hassan Idd Mwamweta, Ministry of agriculture and COPRA for their continued support this year,” remarked Chief Executive Officer of TAHA, Dr Jacqueline Mkindi.
She also congratulated all the exporters who consistently participated in international fairs and seized the numerous opportunities.
“These achievements are a testament to our collective dedication and robust collaboration in advancing Tanzania’s horticultural trade and agricultural sector at large,” Dr. Mkindi noted.
The bitter gourd exporter, Reverend Clement Manyatta, who doubles as Managing Director for Fresh Field Manyatta Company, was grateful to Ambassador Mwamweta and TAHA for their outstanding coordination and support to the Tanzanian exporters’ delegation.
“Their collaborative efforts have been instrumental in strengthening our presence and forging new opportunities in the international Market” Reverend Manyatta said.
For over a decade, TAHA has successfully coordinated these international exhibitions, enhancing Tanzania’s reputation and standing in the global markets.
Indeed, horticultural exports have depicted a robust growth trajectory from 2020 to 2024, highlighting the positive impact of strategic market diversification and sectoral reforms.
The horticulture sub-sector in Tanzania has shown resilience in the face of the global calamities, seemingly triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, and now the industry is faced with logistical challenges.
According to the Bank of Tanzania’s economic review, in 2020, the industry generated $290.7 million, marking the beginning of a generally upward trend in export value.
By 2021, revenues had increased to $378.6 million, an impressive rise of $87.9 million from the previous year.
However, in 2022, earnings slightly dipped to $289.6 million, affected by challenges such as logistics disruption following the Red Sea crisis.
Despite this setback, 2023 saw a robust recovery, with export values soaring to $417.2 million. The momentum continued into 2024, whereby at the end of November, revenues had reached a remarkable $569.3 million, BoT data shows.
This consistent growth over the four-year period can be attributed to the concerted efforts by both government and private sector players to penetrate and expand into new and diverse markets, particularly China, India, the UK, the Middle East, and traditional EU countries.
Furthermore, these efforts involved enhancing production capacities, improving quality standards, and implementing targeted marketing strategies to meet the demands of these international markets.
The data reflects not only the expanding global footprint of Tanzania’s horticultural products but also underscores the sector’s resilience and potential as a significant economic contributor.
As the horticultural industry continues growing, it can play an increasingly pivotal role in driving economic diversification and boosting foreign exchange revenues for the nation.
Recently, the collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the TADB to facilitate Tanzanian exporters to Fruit Logistica 2025 has further elevated Tanzania’s profileΩ
