Experiences

Avocado plantation

Hai, Kilimanjaro

Established in 2007, Africado Ltd. is one of Tanzania's pioneering commercial Hass avocado producers and exporters, operating an integrated business that combines commercial orchards, a packhouse, and an outgrower scheme involving over 2,200 smallholder farmers. The company connects local farmers to export markets, particularly in Europe, while promoting improved production practices and quality standards.

Africado provides exposure to modern avocado orchard management, harvesting, grading, packing, cold-chain management, and compliance with international export requirements. Its model demonstrates how commercial investment and smallholder partnerships can create employment, strengthen market access, improve rural incomes, and develop Tanzania's avocado export value chain.

Experiences

• Modern avocado production
• Orchard management
• Harvesting and post-harvest handling
• Market-oriented farming practices

Vegetable genebank

World Vegetable Centre, Arusha

The World Vegetable Center is an international nonprofit agricultural research organization focused on improving vegetable production, nutrition, and farmers' livelihoods. Its Eastern and Southern Africa regional center in Duluti, Arusha, hosts Africa's Vegetable Genebank, which conserves valuable vegetable genetic resources, particularly traditional African vegetables.

The genebank holds 5,623 seed accessions. WorldVeg has distributed over 110,567 seed samples weighing more than 500 kg to 15 African countries, and in 2024 backed up 2,137 accessions representing 73 species at Norway's Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

The centre offers exposure to vegetable research, seed conservation, crop diversity, improved varieties, and technologies that strengthen agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and food security.

Experiences

• The genebank
• Innovative vegetable varieties
• Modern production technologies
• Climate-smart practices
• Demonstrations of improved varieties and farming technology

Coffee plantation

Arusha

Established in 1899, Burka Coffee Estates is one of Tanzania's oldest coffee estates, located at the foothills of Mount Meru. The estate manages approximately 342 hectares of Arabica coffee grown under shade, producing high-quality specialty coffee for international markets. Its operations integrate modern agronomic practices, harvesting, wet processing, sun-drying, grading, and quality control to meet export-market standards.

Burka Estate also demonstrates a strong commitment to environmental conservation, preserving 118 hectares of indigenous forest and promoting biodiversity through sustainable farming practices.

Learning opportunities: commercial coffee production, sustainable agronomy, harvesting and post-harvest handling, coffee processing, quality assurance, export standards, and environmental conservation.

Experiences

• Coffee field management and harvesting
• Processing, from wet processing to sun-drying
• Grading and quality control

Vegetable seed farm

Rijk Zwaan Q-Sem, Meru District, Arusha

Rijk Zwaan Q-Sem Ltd., established in 2002 in Meru District, Arusha, is part of the international, family-owned Rijk Zwaan group, specializing in vegetable seed production. Tanzania's favourable climatic conditions support the production of high-quality vegetable seeds for commercial horticulture.

The company provides valuable exposure to commercial seed multiplication, crop management, seed harvesting and processing, quality assurance, and modern seed production technologies. A visit offers insights into how specialized seed production contributes to improved vegetable productivity, quality, and sustainable horticultural production.

Experiences

• Improved vegetable varieties
• Demonstration trials
• Crop management
• Modern production technologies
• Knowledge transfer to growers

Berry farm

Kibosho, Kilimanjaro

Kibo Berries is a Tanzanian horticultural enterprise based in the Kilimanjaro Region, specializing in the commercial production and marketing of raspberries for domestic and international markets. The company provides valuable exposure to modern berry production systems, quality management, and post-harvest technologies designed to maintain the freshness and quality of highly perishable fruits.

Its operations offer learning opportunities in freezing technologies, cold-chain management, and the preservation of berries for extended shelf life and market access.

Learning opportunities: modern berry cultivation, efficient harvesting practices, post-harvest loss reduction, freezing and cold-chain technologies, quality assurance, product preservation, and export-market requirements.

Experiences

• Hands-on modern berry farming
• Production and harvesting
• Post-harvest handling
• Marketing high-quality berries