The United Republic of Tanzania is promoting avocado as a key driver of sustainable agricultural transformation under the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative. Led by the Government and supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the initiative is helping to strengthen the avocado value chain through innovation, investment, and inclusive development.
Tanzania is one of more than 30 African countries participating in OCOP, a global initiative that supports countries to promote one Special Agricultural Product with unique qualities and market potential. Avocado was selected as Tanzania’s OCOP crop in line with national strategies to develop high-value horticultural exports.
The country is currently one of Africa’s top three producers of avocado, with Kenya and South Africa. Smallholder farmers account for about 90 percent of this production, highlighting the crop’s role in supporting rural livelihoods. Avocados are grown across many parts of the country, including Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, Songwe, Njombe, Kagera, Kigoma, Rukwa, Tanga, Manyara and Ruvuma. National efforts have focused on increasing production, improving quality and expanding access to international markets.
Avocado: a strategic crop for growth
Recent data from the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) shows that avocado exports increased by 74 percent between 2021 and 2023, rising from 15,432 tonnes to 26,826 tonnes. Over the same period, export earnings grew from USD 44.3 million to USD 77.3 million. In November 2024, Tanzania’s first shipment of avocados arrived in China, opening access to a new Asian market.
The OCOP initiative complements Tanzania’s national plans by promoting sustainable production and green value chain development. It encourages countries to build more inclusive and resilient agrifood systems through improved practices in production, storage, processing and marketing.
Tanzania has set a national target to increase avocado production from 190,000 tonnes in 2018 to 290,000 tonnes by 2025. Reaching this goal will require further investment in quality seedling production, irrigation systems, storage and processing infrastructure, and harvesting technologies. Strengthening the capacity of extension workers is also a priority.
Transforming agrifood systems
The OCOP initiative provides a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration across countries. To date, 33 African countries are participating, each focusing on one special agricultural product. The initiative is country-led, with FAO offering technical support and facilitating partnerships.
The OCOP initiative is aligned with FAO’s vision for more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving noone behind.
Africa Fact: The mediaeval Nubian Kingdoms kept archives. From the site of Qasr Ibrim legal texts, documents and correspondence were discovered. An archaeologist informs us that: “On the site are preserved thousands of documents in Meroitic, Latin, Greek, Coptic, Old Nubian, Arabic and Turkish.”
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