The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Tanzania branch, is gearing up to aid the government in boosting its capacity to be the first to seize opportunities in the forest, vegetable, and flower markets in the Africa Free Trade Area.
Moreover, the government has said it has a strategy to expand its external market for vegetables, flowers, hides, and forest products, which, among other issues, will be possible due to a recently arrived cargo plane in the country.
These remarks were made yesterday in Dar es Salaam during a seminar for businessmen, government representatives, and various stakeholders organized by UNDP to discuss how to capture this market.
Speaking to journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Miriam Mondosha, Project Manager from UNDP, said the market for vegetables, forests, and flowers is substantial in Africa and outside Africa.
However, she stated that the challenge has been the transportation infrastructure, causing products to stay too long and spoil before they arrive under another country’s banner.
Mondosha said that due to this challenge, UNDP is committed to providing education in three key areas, including making the language used in these projects more accessible so that ordinary businessmen and Tanzanians can understand it.
“We will focus on helping the country and building the capacity of the government to be the first to seize the opportunities in this business area,” she said.
At the same time, Sekela Mwaisela, a Trade Officer from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said the government has a strategy to expand the external market for vegetables, flowers, hides, and forests.
She acknowledged there have been challenges with transportation infrastructure. However, she noted there is a strategy to ensure Africa unites in addressing this challenge.
“We thank President Samia Suluhu Hassan for bringing the cargo plane, as it will help expedite our cargo to the respective countries instead of relying on planes from other countries,” she said.