Tanzania opens direct airfreight route to China for avocados

Tanzania’s horticulture industry has welcomed a new direct cargo flight to China, a route set to provide shorter shipping time for avocado exporters in particular.

According to a report from The Citizen, Air Tanzania completed its maiden cargo flight from Dar es Salaam to Guangzhou on 12 January.

Jacqueline Mkindi, chief executive of The Tanzania Horticultural Association (Taha) said the Boeing 767 freighter, with a capacity of 54 tonnes, offered a new logistics option for horticultural exporters.

“The freighter opens up enormous opportunities for horticultural crops and perishables exporters to grow their businesses, as it connects them with untraditional, but competitive customers in China,” she said.

Mkindi said this development aligned with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s strategy to increase horticultural export value to US$2bn billion annually by 2030, from the current US$420mn. 

Part of this strategy saw Tanzanian avocados gain access to China in 2022. The first shipment was made in November 2024.

Mkindi highlighted the mutual benefits that adding a direct cargo route would have.

“The move will be beneficial to the butter fruit exporters as it will cut transport time for avocados to reach Chinese consumers with optimum quality. It’s an advantage for both local farmers, who gain access to international markets, and Chinese consumers, who will enjoy fresh avocados,” she said. 

Previously, a seafreight shipment of avocados took 22 days to travel through Mombasa port in Kenya, to Hong Kong, conversely, it only takes around 12 hours to airfreight avocados to China.