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China-Africa Trade Information Service
Photo: The New Times
By Issa Yussuf
Zanzibar — With increasing production of vegetables and fruits here, some farmers argue that it is high time to restrict importation of such goods from outside the Islands.
In Tanzania, 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.
"We ask the government to restrict importation of products like vegetables and fruits because we now produce enough in Zanzibar for sale," Chairperson of Tunamuomba Mungu Cooperative Society in North Unguja Region, Ms Mwanaumar Dadi Akida, said.
The authorities here, including the Minister for Agriculture, Natural Resources, Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Hamad Rashid Mohamed, have been reluctant to restrict importation of farm products, arguing that the locally-produced ones were still insufficient and of low quality, asking farmers in the islands to ensure better crops.
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.