By Business Insider Reporter
Tanzania’s avocado exports have reached 52,000 tonnes, surpassing the country’s 2030 target of 40,000 tonnes four years ahead of schedule, while generating US$97.2 million in foreign exchange earnings and strengthening horticulture’s position in the national export economy.
The achievement in the 2025/2026 season represents a 237 percent increase in export volumes from 15,432.77 tonnes recorded in 2020/2021, reflecting the rapid expansion of a crop that is increasingly gaining importance in international markets.
Export earnings have also more than doubled, rising 120.4 percent from US$44.2 million over the same period, according to figures released by the Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA) at the Third National Avocado Stakeholders Meeting in Dodoma.
The performance points to growing opportunities for Tanzania to diversify its agricultural exports, earn foreign exchange and strengthen the commercial participation of farmers in international value chains.
National avocado production increased by 36.24 percent, from 149,340 tonnes in 2020/2021 to 203,473 tonnes in 2025/2026. Meanwhile, the proportion of output exported rose from about 10.3 percent to 25.6 percent, indicating a growing orientation towards international markets.
Tanzanian avocados currently reach buyers in Europe, India, the Middle East, China and other destinations. Data from the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) indicates that Europe accounts for about 40 per cent of exports, followed by India at 30 percent and the Middle East at 19 percent.
Market access has also improved, with China opening its market to Tanzanian Hass, Fuerte and Pinkerton avocado varieties in September 2024, following a phytosanitary protocol signed between the two countries in 2022.
Sustaining this growth will, however, require continued investment in production capacity, quality assurance, transportation and cold-chain infrastructure to ensure that farmers and exporters can meet the requirements of increasingly competitive international markets.
The government is expanding support to producers, with Agriculture Minister Daniel Chongolo saying that 129,986 avocado seedlings were distributed during the 2025/2026 season, while another 500,000 are planned for distribution in 2026/2027.
The government has also recruited 50 young agricultural extension officers through the Building a Better Tomorrow (BBT) programme and supported 169 farmer groups during the 2025/2026 season to improve productivity.
These interventions are intended to strengthen the production base and improve the capacity of farmers to participate in a value chain whose commercial potential is expanding alongside international demand.
The sector’s performance also reflects the broader economic importance of horticulture. Bank of Tanzania data shows that horticultural exports generated US$569.3 million in 2024, exceeding tobacco exports of US$517.1 million and cashew nut exports of US$422.8 million.
Tanzania is targeting US$2 billion in annual horticultural export earnings by 2030, making improvements in productivity, market access, logistics and value addition increasingly important to achieving the ambition.
With avocado exports already exceeding their 2030 target, the next challenge will be to sustain the momentum by expanding production, improving quality and strengthening the infrastructure needed to translate growing international demand into greater economic returns for farmers and the country.
