By ADAM IHUCHA
Tanzania multi-million-dollars horticultural industry has
received a major boost after the state pumped Tsh 1.7 billion ($1.062 million)
to curb post-harvest losses.
Experts said the horticultural industry loses between 40 to
50 per cent of its yields in pre and post harvesting, mainly due to lack of
reliable collection, grading and cold storage facilities near productive areas.
The package by the Agriculture, Food Security and
Cooperatives docket, would see the creation of horticultural produce collection
centres and spacious cold storage established in those areas to control the
post harvest loses.
“The idea is to address challenges related to post-harvest
and handling of horticultural produce,” reads a Ministry of Agriculture document.
Officials said the package is part of the State’s commitment
to support small-scale farmers in the horticulture industry with an eye to
boost growth.
The post-harvest handling facilities would be built at
areas, which are considered as potential for production of horticultural crops
such as Njombe, Morogoro and Coast regions.
Pre and post-harvest losses is a long time cry from the
horticulture farmers, through their apex body, Tanzania Horticulture
Association (TAHA).
TAHA Executive Director, Jacqueline Mkindi described the
government move as “fantastic news” for thousands of vegetable and fruits
growers.
“We are grateful to the government for understanding our
plight, which has seen many farmers go out of business,” Ms Mkindi said.
The TAHA boss blamed poor post harvesting management
practices, insufficient infrastructure support system - cold and packinghouses,
and cold chain transport system as the major factors behind the post-harvest
loses.
Pre-harvest losses occur before the process of harvesting
begins, and may be due to insects, weeds and rusts.
Harvest losses occur between the beginning and completion of
harvesting and are primarily due to shattering, whereas post-harvest losses
occur between harvest and the moment of human consumption.
“Horticultural crops typically have a high, moisture
content, tender texture and high perishability,” Ms Mkindi said, adding that if
not handled properly, a high-value nutritious product can deteriorate and rot
in a matter of days or even hours.
It is understood, in the developed world, a series of
sophisticated technologies have been developed and applied in post-harvest
handling of horticultural crops in the last few decades.
Unfortunately, TAHA Policy and Advocacy Manager, Anthony Chamanga
says many African countries have not been able to use these advanced equipment,
owing to cost or adaptability problems.
“Post-harvest losses, therefore, remain high. Horticulture
may be lost in the pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest stages,” Mr Chamanga
noted.
Amid, the challenge, TAHA focuses a rapid growth with
projected earnings of $1billion from exports by 2015, according to its
strategic blueprint.
“In pursuit of this goal TAHA has developed an institutional
five-years-strategic plan which is patterned along the lines of Kilimo Kwanza
and the recent USAID support of a $4 million to boost horticultural industry
growth, we believe we can hit $1bn earnings,” says Ms Mkindi.
Currently, the ‘green gold’, earns the second East African
community (EAC) largest economy, nearly $390 million annually.
However, the 2010 statistics from the United Nations
Comtrade assumption of projections from 2010 to 2020 based on average annual
growth rate of 25 per cent, Tanzania’s horticulture exports would earn $1000
million in 2018 and double in two years’ time to reach $1,850 million by 2020.
The figure also suggests that more than one million
Tanzanians will be working directly in horticulture industry by 2020. The
global demand of horticulture on the other hand stands at $153 billion.
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