Analysis of consumption and production trends of Fruits and Vegetables in Tanzania (2017 - 2022)

BY KOMBA BRIGIDA BAPRM 47531

Production of tomatoes is the highest with a total of 159,805 tons production and acreage of 7,170 hectare. The second vegetable crop is cabbage and third crop is onion. Carrots are a minor crop with a production of 4,029 tons. Other vegetables are for instance eggplant, cauliflower, beans and indigenous vegetables like amaranth and okra. Of the horticultural regions, Iringa shows the highest production and acreage.Also yield levels in this region are high compared to the other regions. For home consumption only 10% of the yield is used.
The remaining is for selling but for all kind of vegetables losses are high. Although no good documentation is available estimated is that about 31% is lost leaving only 59% for selling. Losses are caused by pest and diseases, inadequate sorting/grading, rough handling, lack of cooled storage facilities and lack of adequate packing material. Besides this also a good quality control system and grading system is lacking. Only 13% of the farmers perform some sort of grading where only rotten or misshaped fruits are removed.
Mango is one of the common fruits in Asia, Central and South America and Africa. In Tanzania mango is on the list of five top most popular fruits, i.e., bananas, oranges, pineapples, mangos and pear. There are number of products made from mango, such as juice, pulp, pickles, mango flavouring, mango kernel oil, and powder. These products have been well introduced and accepted in a variety of market segments around the world.
In Tanzania and Africa in general, processing of mango is less developed than in other continents, and the varieties grown are generally most suitable for local markets. Processed mango products, e.g., dried fruit, jam, jellies, syrup and other mango products are fast gaining market share and commanding better prices than other tropical fruits. Access to the EU and USA market is subject to stringent standards and certification requirements (GLOBAL GAP, HACCP and other Ethical Trading Initiatives (ETI)), which makes export of mango from some countries, including Tanzania, not possible at this time.