The Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade) has pledged to strengthen support for local producers as part of efforts to improve the quality and competitiveness of Tanzanian goods and services and open up more domestic and international markets.
Speaking to journalists in Dodoma yesterday after the close of the 33rd Nane Nane Farmers’ Exhibitions at the Dr John Samuel Malecela Agricultural Exhibition Grounds in Nzuguni, TanTrade Director General Ephraim Balozi Mafuru said the authority was focusing on linking production with market demand and value addition.
He said TanTrade’s participation in exhibitions was designed to bring market information closer to producers, particularly on consumer preferences, quality requirements, production costs and opportunities in domestic and overseas markets.
“Our goal is to continue promoting the Made in Tanzania campaign so that more producers of goods and services in Tanzania can be recognised and gain access to both domestic and international markets,” Mr Mafuru said.
He said Tanzania currently exports goods worth about $10 billion annually, but the country has the potential to more than double the value to above $20 billion if producers, the Government and other stakeholders work together to address quality, value addition and market-access challenges.
Mr Mafuru said expanding exports would require producers to understand what consumers in target markets want and align production with international standards.
He said TanTrade would therefore continue conducting market research to establish market needs, consumer requirements, applicable quality standards and costs across the value chain.
The authority, he added, would use the findings to provide producers with practical information and education to help them make better production and marketing decisions.
“We call upon all producers in Tanzania, whether they produce goods or provide services, to visit TanTrade offices and obtain information on the required quality standards, costs involved and the best ways of accessing markets so that they can obtain greater value from their production,” he said.
The emphasis on value addition comes as Tanzania seeks to increase the economic returns from its production base by moving beyond the sale of largely unprocessed commodities and strengthening the competitiveness of locally manufactured products.
Mr Mafuru said the Nane Nane exhibitions had provided evidence of growing interest in locally produced goods, with producers increasingly improving product quality and exploring opportunities beyond the domestic market.
The eight-day exhibitions brought together more than 1,300 exhibitors from different sectors, providing a platform for producers to showcase their products, interact with potential customers and investors, and learn about opportunities to expand their businesses.
For TanTrade, Mr Mafuru said, such platforms remain important in connecting producers with information and markets while strengthening the broader drive to make Tanzanian products more competitive at home and abroad.
