By
Staff Reporter
THE
government in Njombe region is on the advanced process to open a major 87,000 hectares
farm for the professional cultivation of avocado, horticulture produce as well
as others agro value chains.
At
the country’s envisaged major estate, at least 60,000 hectares will
specifically be used for the cultivation of avocado, whereby the remaining land
will harbor horticulture activities and a state- of – the- art dairy project.
Giving
an exclusive interview to this publication over the development, the Regional
Commissioner (RC) for Njombe region, Anthony Mtaka informed that work for the
preparation of the meaningful project was at encouraging stage.
He
added, after finalizing with all basic and necessary preparations, they’re
expecting to advertise the farm to the public with an eye to get serious
investors who will legally own some hectares within the modern estate, basing
on areas of their interests.
“If
all goes as planned, the farm will be ready to start it business from February
and March, 2024, the time when we will start to open doors for prospective
investors to apply for prestigious opportunities to chip in and invest,”
he unveiled.
The
RC detailed that, the possible investors,
as per the involved plans, will be allowed to apply for investing from
between one, two up to ten hectares, saying one hectare will be marketed at
5million.
“Our
prior assessments have proved that most people have so far wasted a lot of
their money to invest into diverse agriculture project without fruitfully
results and thus, in this project we have set a friendly scheme to help them
fetching profits,” he said.
Briefing
over the set scheme, he informed that under the vital project, the investors
who will pay for the farming blocks, will receive the block farms that have
already been cleared, tilled, planted with the best avocado seeds through
applications of recommended fertilizers.
“Apart
from that, all of the farms under the major project will be installed with the
modern irrigation facilities,” RC added.
In
order to ensure the project runs successfully, he said they have already
entered into special working contracts with the Sokoine University of
Agriculture (SUA) and The Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI-
Uyole) for the effective management of the productive area.
“I
am appealing to all of the well – wishers, from both public and private sector
to prepare themselves to grab the coming numerous economic potentials under the
farm in order to improve their livelihoods,” he urged.
He
communicated that the government in Njombe region was holding talks with the
National Housing Corporation (NHC) over possibility to erect a number of
housing units within the vast estate, for accommodating some investors, but
chiefly the agro pundits who will be responsible for the daily monitoring of
the diverse initiatives under the farm.
“Apart
from avocado production and horticulture, the area will also incorporate a
special zoo for giving a special leisure to the farms involves, as well as the
visitors,” he expressed.
The
development surfaced amid relevant period as the government, through TARI is
implementing a robust program to improve production, productivity as well as
additional value to avocados in Tanzania
Among
others, the focus is to develop various technologies to help improve various
levels in the avocados production, such as seed preparation and availability of
quality seedlings, agronomic practices, pests’ management.
In
targets is also improvement of harvesting techniques to mitigate fruit loss,
processing and innovation of avocado products, marketing research on new
opportunities for avocados, and alternative consumption of new products of
avocados.
So
far, TARI has researched, approved and introduced to the farmers more than ten
seeds verities of improved avocado in Tanzania.
These
are Hass, Fuerte, Weisal, Pinkerton, X – IKULU, Booth 7, Simmonds, Nabal, X- Mwaikokesya,
Uyole line and Duke.
Tanzania
is the third largest avocado produce in Africa, after South Africa and Kenya. However,
despite being endowed with key potential for the cultivation of the crop,
including subtropical climates, the country has yet to benefiting full from the
sub- sector.
Between
2015 and 2018 annual production rose from 20,000 tons to 190,000 tons.
Moreover,
according to the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), in 2018 Tanzania
exported 7,551 tons with a total value of USD 8.5 million to Europe, Africa,
and Asia. And, The Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated that
the production was 19,449 metric tons in 2016/2017.
Regions
where the cash crop is cultivated in Tanzania include Mbeya, Njombe, Songwe,
Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, and Tanga. Other regions are Kigoma and Kagera in
the northwest and Morogoro in the east of Tanzania.
Relevant
records shows that the most important market for Tanzania’s avocado is
Netherlands, with an untapped potential of USD 1.8 million, whereby the second-largest
market is France.
However,
other markets with large untapped export potential include Japan, Switzerland,
Spain, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, and China.
Currently
it is estimated that over 10,000 farmers across the country are involved in
avocado production. In November 2021 the National Plant Protection (NPPZA) –
Department of Agriculture of South Africa granted market access to the
importation of avocados from Tanzania.
In
addition, from 25th November 2021, the Indian Plant Health Authority allowed
for the first time to export avocados from Tanzania to India.
