Regional Markets

3 Cases
Table 3.7 Relative market share of smallholders and large-scale farmers
Tanzanian
markets
East African
markets
European
markets
All markets
Smallholders 60% 30% 25% 38%
Large-scale farmers 40% 70% 75% 62%
National and local market places
TAHA farmers market their produce at several key marketplaces in Tanzania. The Dar
es Salaam wholesale market, the biggest in Tanzania, attracts more than 5,000 traders
and buyers each day. TAHA farmers supply all types of vegetables to this market seven
days a week. The hotel market in Zanzibar is supplied by local farmers and by traders
who purchase various types of vegetables on the mainland and ship them over to the
island. Hotels buy only top quality produce, and are ready to offer top-price in times
of shortages. The processing industry in Tanzania is another large client, who primarily
deals in tomatoes and chillies. The companies usually buy directly from farmers and
traders year-round, and like to have stable longstanding relationships with their suppliers.
In times of irregular or poor supply, they import tomato paste in bulk and repackage
it in tins and bottles. The retail markets in mid-sized towns provide another outlet
for daily deliveries of fresh produce. The retailers operating at these markets usually buy
directly from farmers in the region, but also from collecting traders who purchase produce
at-the-gate. The weekly village markets are the local spot markets in production
areas, patronised primarily by local farmers and residents.
Table 3.8 Summary of customers in the fresh vegetables value chain
Dar es Salaam
wholesale market
(5,000 traders)
Hotel sector in
Zanzibar
Retail markets in
mid-sized towns
(1,000 traders)
Village markets
(100–200 traders)
Farmers X X X
Collecting traders X X X X
Wholesalers X X
Retailers X X
Consumers X X X
Impact of the intervention
Pro-poor development
By facilitating access to export markets for their produce TAHA is building a sustainable
marketing channel for the smallholder farmers. As farmers have not received consolidated
and sustained trainings on good agricultural practices through the existing support
and extension mechanisms, TAHA’s extension staff, together with local government
105