Fruits recorded the highest cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) among the horticultural crops grown in Tanzania. Over the past three years, the production of fruits registered a 24 percent growth, followed by vegetables which recorded 21 percent. Flowers had a cumulative production annual growth rate of a mere five percent, according to the Arusha-based Tanzania Horticultural Association (Taha).
Despite trailing fruits, vegetables has enabled Tanzania become among the 20 global producers of fresh vegetables, Taha’s policy analyst, Jerry Moshi, said recently. This, he said, is according to FAOSTAT, a database facility of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization.
The export trends indicate that Tanzania exported 168,348 metric tons of horticulture crops in the financial year 2020/21 up from 111,823 tons in 2019/20.
In 2020/21, vegetables topped the list with 134,806 tons, followed by fruits (30,593 tons), flowers (2,751 tons) and spices 198 tons. Moshi attributed the fast growth of the horticultural sub sector, especially before the outbreak of Covid-19, to increased quality assurance. Through GreenCert, the first certification body in horticulture, the industry has embraced Good Agricultural Practices.
Source: thecitizen.co.tz