The Chinese demand for avocados has been growing, with Kenya receiving the go-ahead to export Hass avocados to the Asian nation. Recently, the market has opened up even further, allowing Tanzania to export avocados to China.

In a breakthrough towards China's commitment to allow local markets to access the growing market, China has picked a sample of Tanzania's avocado farms and pack houses to assess them for compliance. For the fresh avocados to be exported to China, Tanzania's avocados must comply with Beijing phytosanitary laws and regulations and safety requirements and become free from quarantine pests.

The Tanzania Ministry of Agriculture has notified TAHA that the GACC responsible for overseeing food compliance has already chosen three sample plantations for video inspection. This has raised hopes for the farmers to export the avocado to the Chinese market soon.

Africado in Kilimanjaro, Rutuba in Iringa, and Usa Limited in Arusha are the three farms that have been selected to undergo video inspections in March this year.

An expert from TPHPA has said that the video inspection for the first batch will be carried out in March 2024, during the forthcoming harvesting season.

If this goes well, this will offer a sign of hope for local farmers to submit video inspections as part of the Chinese avocado market access review.

With its large population of over 1.4 billion people, China is currently one of the top 10 avocado importers globally, and Tanzania hopes to tap into the Chinese market for fresh avocados. Previously, Tanzania has been limited to the Middle East and European markets, and China may come as a game changer.

Kenya has already started exporting Hass avocados to China in 2022. So far, China and Tanzania have signed a phytosanitary protocol with all the guidelines outlined. Zimbabwe and Mozambique are also targeting exporting avocados to China.

Chinese Demand for Avocados

China’s growing middle class and increasing health consciousness have fueled the demand for avocados in the country.

Avocados are considered a healthy and nutritious food, and their popularity has soared in China. The Chinese market presents a vast potential for avocado exporters, and Tanzania is capitalizing on this opportunity.

What This Means for Kenyan Farmers

The rise of avocado exports to China presents new and lucrative export opportunities for Kenyan avocados. The growing Chinese market still has gaps that Kenyan farmers can tap to meet the rising demand.

Rather than viewing Tanzania's success as a threat, their move to target China should be seen as an avenue for collaboration. Both countries have unique strengths and can benefit from the market. This is a pie for everyone. Tanzania's avocado exports to China signify a shifting landscape in the East African avocado industry.

Although the avocado supply in most parts of Europe is dominated by Peru, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique have an extended period, a time when the Peruvian season has not yet started. Our season starts in early February. The Peruvian supply runs out in September, a time when the Kenyan and Tanzanian supplies are still available. These seasonal gaps provide the two nations with opportunities to exploit markets in China, Europe, and other nations.

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