DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – The Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) has launched HortiMarket, a groundbreaking digital platform designed to transform the country’s horticultural sector by directly connecting farmers with buyers, exporters, and logistics providers.
The innovative platform, developed by the TAHA Research and Information Centre (TARIC), serves as a centralized online marketplace that provides real-time data on prices, production, and demand, addressing longstanding challenges in Tanzania’s agricultural value chain.
Multi-Channel Accessibility
HortiMarket is accessible through multiple digital channels to ensure widespread adoption across Tanzania’s diverse farming communities:
Addressing Market Challenges
Steven Mhiliwa, TAHA’s Head of Knowledge and Innovation, explained that the platform specifically targets persistent issues in the horticultural sector, including limited price transparency, inefficient logistics, and weak coordination between value chain participants.
“The platform’s modular design will allow continuous updates and integration of new technologies, supporting the competitiveness and sustainability of Tanzania’s horticultural sector in regional and global markets,” Mhiliwa stated.
Supporting Smallholder Farmers
The platform is set to benefit more than 500,000 smallholder farmers across 26 regions in Tanzania, providing them with direct access to market information that was previously difficult to obtain. The system also incorporates trade facilitators who will help promote quality production and marketing, earning commissions based on performance.
Regional Market Expansion
Anthony Chamanga, TAHA Chief Development Manager, highlighted the platform’s timing with growing regional demand for horticultural products. “African countries imported horticultural produce worth around USD 10 billion in 2024, compared with USD 7.6 billion a decade earlier,” he noted.
Tanzania has been increasingly supplying neighbouring countries, with South Africa sourcing avocados from Tanzanian farmers over the past three years, replacing traditional off-season suppliers such as Israel and Spain. In 2024, Tanzania’s avocado exports to South Africa reached approximately USD 4 billion. The launch of HortiMarket represents a significant step in Tanzania’s digital agriculture transformation, positioning the country to capitalize on expanding opportunities in regional and international horticultural markets
