Tanzania 2018 | ECONOMY | COLUMN

TBY talks to Edwin Rutageruka, Acting Director General, Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TanTrade), on the sector.

Edwin Rutageruka

What potential for investment does Tanzania's product mix offer?

There are a few products that spring to mind when we talk aboutΩ Tanzania's abundant natural resources. We have long backed the burgeoning honey trade, with annual capacity estimated at 240,000 tons and current production levels hovering at 145,000 tons per annum. Furthermore, Tanzania is famous for its spices. Then, there are other products such as sunflower and sesame seeds, currently being exported in their raw forms. We have commercial products such as our large array of indigenous baskets—iringa, kitenge, bahari, and bakuli—with potential in domestic and international markets.

How does TanTrade forge linkages between domestic products and external suppliers?

TanTrade is a unique public sector organization, under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Development, mandated to boost local and global trade. One of the main ways in which we link production to market is through trade fairs. The spacious Mwalimu JK Nyerere trade fair grounds, which also accommodate the headquarters of TanTrade, comprise some 160,000sqm of exhibition space. We invite more than 30 countries to showcase their wares, including many from Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the US.