The key player in a multi-million-dollar horticulture industry has set eyes on a $133 million Chinese avocados market, after South Africa cleared the Tanzanian avocados to access its relatively huge market. “As we sincerely salute the government for its painstaking efforts to strike a bilateral deal for Tanzanian avocados to access the sprawling South African market, we are now eyeing the Chinese market,” said the Taha Group CEO, Ms Jacqueline Mkindi. As the champion of horticulture in the country, Taha played a central role in supporting the government to persuade the South African government to open up its expansive avocados market to Tanzania.
“The deal between Tanzania and South Africa creates a win-win situation. Whereas Tanzanian exporters are smiling all the way to the bank for securing a niche market for their avocados, South African consumers are also jubilating as the Tanzanian fruit would be cheaper, thanks to functional logistics which ensure freshness of the crop,” Ms Mkindi explained. The Taha boss said the sky is the limit, as her organisation - working closely with the government - is working overtime to fast-track protocol with China to pave way for local avocado exporters to access the lucrative Beijing market. Indeed, data from China Customs show that Beijing’s annual avocado demand stands at around 43,860 metric tons (tonnes), valued at $133.38 million. This is a huge potential market for Tanzania growers.