Tanzanian government urged to hasten establishment of mango packhouse
Amagro executive secretary Ahmad Mkopi says failure to establish the facility is a hindrance to mango growers.
"We plead with the government to hasten the process of establishing the packhouse," Mr Mkopi told BusinessWeek.
Sokoine University of Agriculture researchers say Tanzania's mango post-harvest losses stand at 40 per cent of the total output. According to Mr Mkopi, a feasibility study has shown that it will cost Sh1.4 billion to construct such the facility.
"We have hired a Kenyan consultant to carry out a feasibility study on the packhouse construction. We believe that, through public-private partnership, the country can build it." Negotiations between the Amagro and the former government went on well, but they were halted last year, he says. A packhouse, according to experts, is a centre for fruit storage and packing to observe quality. Mr Mkopi speaks favourably about Kenya's modern packhouses, which have enhanced the country mango exports to the Middle East to 100 tonnes every week.
source: allafrica.com
