In a major breakthrough towards Beijing’s commitment to allow local grown fruits access to its market, China has picked a sample of Tanzania’s avocado farms and packhouses for compliance auditing. All fresh avocados exported to China must comply with the Beijing phytosanitary laws and regulations, safety standards and become free from quarantine pests.
Ministry of Agriculture has formally notified TAHA, the horticultural industry champion, that the General Administration of Chinese Customs (GACC) responsible for overseeing food compliance has selected three sample plantations for video inspection, raising hopes for the farmers of exporting the avocado to the lucrative Asian market soon.
An expert with the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticide Authority (TPHPA) said the video inspection for the first batch of avocado plantations will be carried out during the forthcoming harvesting season in March 2024.
“If all goes well, the video inspections involving the sample farms will pave way for other local plantations to submit the same, as part of the Chinese avocado market access review,” he explained.
Currently Tanzania’s annual avocado exports stand at over 20,000 tons, worth nearly $30 million. It produces an average of 47,000 tons of exportable avocados annually.
Source: dailynews.co.tz