Tanzania's avocado exports surpass 2030 target, with China among key markets

DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's avocado exports to international markets, including China, reached 52,000 tonnes in the 2025/2026 season, surpassing the country's 2030 target of 40,000 tonnes, the Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA) said on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by COPRA, export volumes rose by 237 percent from 15,432.77 tonnes in the 2020/2021 season, while foreign exchange earnings increased by 120.4 percent to 97.2 million U.S. dollars from 44.2 million dollars over the same period.

National avocado production also increased by 36.24 percent, from 149,340 tonnes to 203,473 tonnes, reflecting the expansion of the sector.

Opening the third National Avocado Stakeholders Conference in the capital Dodoma, Agriculture Minister Daniel Chongolo said the achievement demonstrated the crop's growing contribution to employment, investment, farmers' incomes and foreign exchange earnings.

He attributed the growth to cooperation between the government and the private sector in improving production, market access, infrastructure and transparent trading systems, adding that further efforts were needed to increase productivity and ensure farmers benefited from the expanding industry.

Tanzania has expanded its avocado export markets to include China, the Netherlands, India, the United Arab Emirates, France and South Africa, while improving transportation facilities and cold-chain logistics to strengthen competitiveness, he said.

Chongolo said that to boost production, the government distributed 129,986 avocado seedlings in the 2025/2026 season and plans to distribute 500,000 more in the 2026/2027 season.

He said the government allocated 3 billion Tanzanian shillings (about 1.2 million U.S. dollars) for 20 avocado collection centers across 13 local government authorities.

For the 2026/2027 season, COPRA plans to strengthen collection and storage infrastructure, formalize trading systems and encourage greater private-sector investment in processing and value addition, the statement said.