Fintrac Harvest Summer 2009

Tanzania horticulture exports take off with new airfreight service

ARUSHA, Tanzania — Because of high shipping costs out of Kilimanjaro International Airport, Tanzania growers had limited access to reliable airfreight service and growers trying to reach the world market were forced to truck their flowers and produce to distant airports in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. These trips are long and costly and the extra time it takes to get produce to market resulted in lower quality and ultimately less income for growers. In September 2007, Fintrac launched the USAID-funded Tanzania Airfreight Program (TAP) and set a course to establish regular cargo flights out of Kilimanjaro Airport.

Fintrac worked with the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) to establish a grower-owned freight consolidation firm and also worked with airlines to lower freight rates and negotiate load agreements. Fintrac then negotiated with private and public service providers to lower their costs to equal or lower than competing airports in Kenya and Uganda.

On Dec. 7, 2008, 40 tons of flowers and vegetables grown in Tanzania took off for the European market. Since that first flight, more than 800 tons have been shipped to Europe. Today, Tanzania exporters of perishables have a new reliable source of airfreight access to European markets at competitive rates.