AfricaPress-Tanzania: MINISTRIES responsible for agriculture and transport are working round the clock to ensure more production of crops and horticulture goods so as to feed European and Asian markets.
Tanzania, having been endowed with fine weather conditions since last year, is at a peak of production in terms of agriculture as the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) under management of Kilimanjaro Airports Development Company (Kadco) starts air freight business.
On Friday afternoon, the country, through KIA, officially launched entry into the European market directly, with 28 tons of fruits and flowers being carried to European destinations at the time when the coronavirus pandemic is still devastating the world, specifically Europe and many people are on lockdown.
Minister for Agriculture, Mr Japhet Hasunga, flagged off a cargo plane –Ethiopian Airline Dreamliner 787‑dubbed Queen of Sheba that landed, packed the consignments and left, leaving behind a message for Tanzanians to expend great efforts into the production of agricultural crops, with horticultural ones being mostly in high demand in Europe and Asia.
Mr Hasunga said the government is making efforts to revive big companies that were operating plantations as well as the ones devoted to flower and vegetable production, so that the country produces enough to feed the rest of the world as demand rises while Covid-19 restricts people indoors.
“I came here to flag off the plane that carries our 28 tons of fruits as we now directly enter the European market where the demand is high.
We have enough rain and land so I call upon the youth, women and generally every one to engage in agricultural production so that we export, earn a lot of foreign currency and have good life,” said Mr Hasunga, as the goods were being loaded in the enormous plane.
The minister said avocado producers in Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Iringa, Njombe, Mbeya and other regions were complaining of lack of direct transport to Europe so that they struggled to send their products to a neighboring country and very often, they were spoiled due to wrong timing or delays. He said it was high time they exploited the opportunity.
He said Tanzania would now be effectively marketed to the word because the products are labeled as produced and exported from the country as opposed to the past when they were exported through a neighboring country and were labeled as being produced there.
“It is high time we walked with our heads high because we are promoting our country through the products we export directly to Europe, Asia and other parts of the world.
They used to put labels on our products showing that they were produced and exported from their countries but now we have found a solution. No more deception. They are our products and are thus manifested on the labels,” said Mr Hasunga.
The Deputy Minister for Transport and Communication, Engineer Atashasta Nditiye, said his ministry is setting aside funds that will see, within one year’s time, Tanzania buying a huge cargo plane to complement the efforts in the agricultural sector.
Engineer Nditiye said that meanwhile, the government was holding talks with some airline companies such as Emirates so as to use KIA for transporting agricultural goods, fish, meat and others to other continents.
He hailed KADCO for proper utilisation of funds in renovating the airport, specifically the cold room that is used for storing perishable goods, saying that the government is always ready to put more funds in such use once needs arise.
Engineer Nditiye received calls from the Tanzania Horticulture Association (Taha), Managing Director, Ms Jaqueline Mkindi, for the government to reduce or scrap some fees on landing cargo planes, such as radiation, parking permits and issue incentives to farmers. He said the government would address the issues.
