by Bilham Kimati, Daily News
Good news, the avocado, that has for many years been considered worthless with some communities throwing the fruit to animals has become a ‘green gold’ bringing wealth to farmers.
Research findings have identified and improved a high yield variety of avocado, which matures and produce fruits within three years.
This avocado is fetching good returns from foreign markets. Knowledge imparted by Africado Company Limited on modern techniques in avocado growing has wrought ‘miracles’ to those who have embraced the project.
Yasintha Herman Mlale (63) a mother of two and her husband, Mr Herman Mlale, residents of Sanya Juu in Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region smile all the way to the bank after selling what others considered a useless crop.
Three years ago the couple gained the skills, got avocado seedlings and planted just a quarter of an acre. The once despised avocado suddenly turned out to be a reliable source of income Together they harvested 215 cartons earning 12.9m/- from their first harvest. “I am very happy.”
I am a different person today. In fact nobody knew that avocado is wealth. Families get money to meet basic expenses, thanks to Africado who introduced the idea, shared skills with us and purchase avocadoes for export,” smiling Yasintha said Since 2010 Africado embarked on its mission of distributing high-yield seedlings of avocado variety and replicated the technology among small-scale farmers.
Now, avocado is slowly transforming the entire rural economy, as Yasintha is just one of thousands of other smallholder farmers producing as much as 14 tonnes for the export market. Africado has pioneered commercialisation of the Tanzania’s emerging export crop currently benefiting nearly 2,500 smallholder farmers in Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions.
Life is better today, as avocado farmers can afford to pay school fees for their children, build modern houses and cover medical expenses, among other needs, that previously remained a serious challenge to the villagers. In 2007 the lush green fields on the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro drew the attention of an investor from the United Kingdom.
At his early 40s, enthusiastic horticulturist, James Parsons, resolved to move to Siha District in Kilimanjaro Region. His dream was to grow avocado trees to help the community understand that the fruit was not worthless but a product that brings money with unbelievable ease.
Much as Parsons eyed the European market in his dream, he did not give up. He still remembered the passion and warm welcome accorded to him by the former Siha District Commissioner (DC), Anna Nyamubi and the moral support that enhanced economic activities of Africado Company in the area.
“When I first came here, my hosts thought I was a crazy Muzungu, but a few years later I proved to them where a lucrative market for quality avocadoes was,” Parsons remarked. If comments from consumers of the fruits are anything to go by, the UK-based Supermarket Waitrose describes Africado’s avocadoes as bearing characteristics that have never been tasted before.
Ian Daniels from Greensell in the UK writes:,“The quality of Africado fruits is far better off compared to those coming from other parts of the world.,” Daniels remarked The EU market’s preference and the growing global demand for avocado oil have significantly pushed sales of the fruits.
Africado is ideally positioned to seize off-peak market opportunities available, as prices often appreciate when the Chilean season begins, and those of the South African and Peruvian end.
Analysts say that by adding the substantial out-grower component to the existing plantation- based commercial unit, the project demonstrates rare mutual advantages and synergies of effective joint ventures between smallholders and commercial farmers.
Africado Development Manager Duncan Page says plans are underway to certify 400 extra farmers this year, adding that in the next three years, the half of the Africado’s projected total export of 2,000 tonnes, will be sourced from the out growers. With 145 employees, mostly women, Africado has also turned out to be Siha’s number one employer with massive multiplier effects to the surrounding communities.
The company today is just one of many other horticultural investments enjoying positive support from the government. Having paid 123.4m/- last year alone, Tanzania Revenue Authorities (TRA) in Hai District acknowledges the company as its largest taxpayer.
“This certificate is awarded to Africado Ltd of Siha as the overall winner in recognition of the company’s outstanding tax compliance in 2014. The certificate of merit has been issued by Hai TRA Manager, Sylver Rutagwelera,” reads in part. According to Rutagwelera, the firm is recognised for tax compliance, transparency, timely payment, precise amount, good communication and trustworthiness in documentation.
Motivated, Africado expanded its irrigation facilities, constructed a borehole and a water reservoir, and increased the capacity of its nursery from 10,000 to 100,000 plants during the second phase of its project. Almost 100 per cent of grafted plants in the out-grower scheme now come from the nursery on the nucleus farm.
Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) and the USAID/ Tanzania Agricultural Productivity Program (TAAP) in collaboration with Africado worked together to provides out grower farmers with technical advice and training, subsidised avocado seedlings from the orchard and transportation.
TAHA Executive Director Jacqueline Mkindi is happy with the success stories, which have made the industry, grow in leaps and bounds in the span of 10 years of the association with her at the helm.
“We have strived to assist peasants to transact business with exporters in a win-win framework,” she explains; adding that the industry now earns the country nearly 400 million US Dollars annually, up from a mere 63 million in 2002.
TAHA assists farmers to adopt standard compliance practices and addresses challenges compounded by numerous taxes and levies, particularly the produce cess fee.
“TAHA is currently engaged in negotiations with Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) centre and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives to partner with a view of expanding commercial production and infrastructure development in that corridor,” Mkindi explained.
It also supports investors in horticulture in the registration of essential horticultural inputs including pesticides, fertilizers and biological control agents.
Tanzania’s Minister for agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Christopher Chizza admits that through TAHA the industry has been the fastest growing sub-sector; recording an average growth of 11 per cent per annum over the last six years.
Increasingly, horticulture has become the main driver of agricultural development due to its nature as a commercial industry and the growing demand for such products in the major markets in both within and outside the country.
Source: DailyNews