Tanzania has since been known as an agricultural country with leading exports like tea, coffee, tobacco, sisal, flowers, but there is a new produce that is getting lots of attention - the avocado. Tanzania resides in an ideal location for avocado growth, as avocados thrive in subtropical climates, and in areas suitable for coffee and tea. Hass avocado is one of the improved high yield variety of avocado, which matures and produce fruits within three years. The other improved high yield varieties are fuerte and pinkerton.
Jagrin Agriculture Co. Ltd’s current practice and status:
Our Hass Avocado project was established in January 2011, and by December 2016, we had 4 acres in Hazelu, in Hasamba ward, which is cultivated and planted with 400 avocado trees.
With application of irrigation and better practices farming techniques, this pilot Hass avocado farm has been very successful in such a way that:
- On 21st October 2016, our avocado farm was declared as a ‘’demonstration farm (role model farm)’’ for Mbozi and Mbeya Rural districts for the farmers and stakeholders.
- Our avocado fruits are considered the best in Mbozi
- The farm produced 1.5 tons on its first commercial harvest in March 2017. Yields increase in each year as the avocado plants grow.
- We are therefore a point of reference for avocado buyers, both local and export companies.
The Market
All our avocados for 2017 harvest season had been booked, and eventually was bought by Lima Kwanza Company, an export company based in Njombe, Tanzania. The main season for Southern highlands Tanzania avocados is December to June.
Problem addressed by Jagrin Agriculture Co. Ltd:
As a relatively new export cash crop in Tanzania, there is huge gap between demand and supply. Grafted Avocado farming is an emerging cash crop in Tanzania with a very big potential of generating foreign exchange through avocado exports. Tanzania has experienced growing exports from this newly established high value horticultural cash crop. However, currently, the actual production is far away below the actual quantity demanded at the export markets.
Jagrin has utilised this big opportunity of potentials of avocado farming business in Tanzania and Africa in general. For the first time, Mbozi, Ileje and Mbeya Rural districts have experienced corporate avocado company buying the avocado fruits from growers in the districts in the season December 2016 to June 2017. The dream has really come true for the pioneer growers, including Jagrin Agriculture Company Limited.
Plans:
Expansion of avocado farms under cultivation from 4 acres to 68 acres by 31 December 2018. Also, we will modernize the existing 4 acres’ farm by installation of drip irrigation system.
Specific expansion & modernization activities are:
- Plant 1,100 Hass avocado plants in our 14 acres’ land acquired in 2014 in Iyenga, Hasamba ward;
- Acquire 50 acres in Masangula village for planting 4,000 Hass avocado plants;
- Install drip irrigation in all existing and new farms for increased productivity;
- Implement organic farming in all avocado farms to comply with the export market requirements
Expected yield:
This will increase production to
- 828,000 kgs (828 tons) after three years; and
- 2,208,000 kgs (2,208 tons) after 5 years, from 2017.