By: Trends n Africa

HortiMarket serves as a centralized online marketplace supporting over 500,000 smallholder farmers across 26 regions. Its primary goal is to bridge the information gap between producers and buyers by offering real-time updates on prices, product availability, and demand—empowering informed decision-making and improving value chain performance.

According to Steven Mhiliwa, TAHA’s Head of Knowledge and Innovation, HortiMarket was developed to address persistent challenges such as price opacity, inefficient logistics, and weak coordination among value chain actors. He highlighted that the platform’s modular design allows for continuous innovation and integration of emerging technologies, ensuring Tanzania’s horticultural sector remains competitive and sustainable in both regional and global markets.

Anthony Chamanga, TAHA’s Chief Development Manager, emphasized that the initiative responds to rising regional demand for fresh produce. He noted that African countries imported horticultural products worth approximately USD 10 billion in 2024, up from USD 7.6 billion a decade earlier, with Tanzania increasingly supplying key markets such as South Africa, which has sourced Tanzanian avocados over the past three years. In 2024 alone, Tanzania’s avocado exports to South Africa were valued at around USD 4 billion.

Meanwhile, Dr. Steven Tumaini, TAHA’s Head of Marketing, explained that HortiMarket will strengthen coordination among farmers and trade facilitators who will support quality production and marketing while earning performance-based commissions.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania’s horticultural production reached 8.44 million tons in the 2022/2023 fiscal year. TAHA reports that the export value of horticultural products climbed to USD 417.7 million (TZS 1.04 trillion) in 2023, marking a 43.9% increase from USD 290.1 million (TZS 725.25 billion) in 2022. Europe remains the leading destination, accounting for 40% of exports, followed by India (30%) and the Middle East (19%). Within Africa, South Africa and Kenya jointly represent 11% of Tanzania’s horticultural exports, with emerging markets in China and other Asian countries further expanding the country’s global footprint.