- Tanzania exported 52,000 tonnes of avocados in the 2025/2026 season, surpassing its 40,000-tonne target set for 2030
- The country's export volumes grew by 237% from just 15,432 tonnes recorded in the 2020/2021 season
- Tanzania gained access to the Chinese market in September 2024 and has since finalised a two-year trade strategy targeting China
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Elijah Ntongai is an experienced editor at TUKO.co.ke, with more than four years in financial, business, labour and technology research and reporting. His work provides valuable insights into Kenyan, African, and global trends.
Tanzania has exceeded its 2030 avocado export target four years ahead of schedule, shipping 52,000 tonnes in the 2025/2026 season against an original goal of 40,000 tonnes, according to the Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA).
Source: Facebook
The milestone positions Tanzania as a direct challenger to Kenya in key global markets, including China, the Netherlands, India, the United Arab Emirates, France, and South Africa.
Tanzania's Rapid Export Growth
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Export volumes climbed by 237% from 15,432.77 tonnes recorded in the 2020/2021 season, while foreign exchange earnings rose by 120.4% to KSh 12.5 billion (USD 97.2 million) from KSh 5.7 billion (USD 44.2 million) over the same period.
National production also expanded by 36.24%, reaching 203,473 tonnes from 149,340 tonnes.
Agriculture Minister Daniel Chongolo attributed the performance to coordinated efforts between government and private sector players to strengthen production, market access, and infrastructure.
o sustain momentum, the government distributed 129,986 avocado seedlings during the 2025/2026 season and allocated KSh 154.7 million (3 billion Tanzanian shillings) to establish 20 collection centres across 13 local government areas.
COPRA also recruited 50 extension officers and supported 169 grower groups during the season and plans to distribute 500,000 seedlings in the 2026/2027 season.
The China Factor and Kenya's Lead
Tanzania secured market access to China on September 1, 2024, under a plant-health agreement that requires every export farm, packhouse, and fumigation facility to carry a traceability code before shipments can proceed.
The country has since rolled out a two-year trade strategy focused on expanding domestic processing capacity, modernising packaging, and connecting Tanzanian suppliers directly with Chinese importers, aiming to take advantage of China's zero-tariff policy for African countries, which runs until April 2028.
Permanent Secretary in Tanzania's Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ambassador Waziri Salum, said the country's main challenge had shifted.
"The major challenge now is not simply gaining access to the Chinese market, but ensuring that Tanzania has the capacity to produce quality goods in sufficient quantities to meet buyers' demand," he said.
Kenya, however, maintains a commanding lead. The country is Africa's largest avocado producer and was the first African nation to export fresh avocados to China.
Production in 2026 is forecast at approximately 727,000 tonnes, with exports projected at 130,000 tonnes.
Kenya began exporting avocados to China under the zero-tariff policy in May 2026, with the first consignment of 6.9 tonnes arriving at Guangzhou Port on May 1.
Avocado oil exports to China have since surged by 700%, according to Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Cold-chain infrastructure, collection logistics, and transport links remain the principal constraints determining how much of Tanzania's growing harvest reaches export markets in viable condition.
COPRA's priorities for the coming financial year centre on formalising trading systems, strengthening storage infrastructure, and attracting private-sector investment in processing and value addition.
Source: TUKO.co.ke