In order to strengthen electronic certification (E-cert) for sanitary and phytosanitary procedures in the Tanzanian horticultural sector, Tanzania and the Netherlands have decided to collaborate. To that purpose, the two nations agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines particular areas of collaboration in order to increase the market acceptance of Tanzania’s horticulture products.
The MoU was signed in the presence of the Regional Agricultural Counsellor from the Netherlands Embassy, Mr. Bart Pauwels with Tanzania represented by Permanent Secretary, Gerald Mweli and the Netherlands by Ambassador Wiebe de Boer on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Representatives from the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) also witnessed the signing at the Ministry of Agriculture in the country’s capital, Dodoma.
Implementation of the MoU will be carried out by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPOs), the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticide Authority (TPHPA), and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). The collaboration aims to create efficiency in agricultural trade for more job creation and increased foreign earnings.
This occurs at a time when Tanzania’s horticultural industry has had rapid growth over the past three decades and is now one of the main sources of foreign exchange. Reports show that in 2019, horticulture exports made up a sizable share of the total export value, totaling $779 million. The sector is currently the primary source of livelihood for approximately 4.5 million farmers, both small- and large-scale farmers with the majority being women and youth.
The Tanzanian Plant Health Service (PHS) was required to certify horticultural produce for phytosanitary reasons in accordance with the parties’ agreement. They claim that this is a ‘paper-driven’ procedure that incorporates attestation by qualified inspectors and offers guarantees (safeguards) to the appropriate authorities of the importing countries.
According to them, a phytosanitary certificate travels with an export consignment to the port of entry of the importing nation and serves as the product’s passport. One of its drawbacks is a paper phytosanitary certificate’s manual preparation, which consumes a sizable percentage of the time spent by phytosanitary inspectors in their daily job.
Mr. de Boer, the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Tanzania said during the event that the Netherlands provided information, skills, technology, and innovations for sustainable horticulture trade to fulfill the rising need for food in Tanzania and the surrounding area. “Tanzania and the Netherlands have a long-standing cooperation that spans over 40 years. There are about 80 Dutch companies operating in Tanzania; 70% have invested in the agricultural sector, the majority of which are in the horticultural sector”, he stated.
TPHPA provides a number of certificates each year, and it took a lot of time to write and sign each one by hand.
Additionally, paper certificates represent permanent records that cannot be changed if an input error is made or if the features of the export consignment change while the export is being processed. However, changes in cargo space, which occur frequently during ordinary export operations, may force the need to alter the amount of product to be shipped.