Tanzania will soon start exporting processed and locally packaged organic honey to the United Kingdom.
This follows the signing of the agreement between the Central Park Bees Limited (CPB) of Dodoma and the United Kingdom’s food importing company, FEMU Limited.
The signed agreement facilitates exportation of Tanzanian natural sweet syrup to the United Kingdom.
Central Park Bees Limited is known for its flagship product,’ Swahili Honey’ which now becomes Tanzania’s inaugural processed organic honey to enter the United Kingdom and command markets overseas.
The Chief Executive Officer of Femu Limited, David Mukisa said under the agreement his company will assist the Central Park Bees to start supplying at least ten percent of the United Kingdom’s annual honey imports, which currently stands at 58,000 tons.
Mukisa explained that they were taking advantage of the UK government’s recent policy which allows Tanzania’s products to enter the market tax-free.
“This agreement is the culmination of efforts led by both the Tanzania High Commission in London and the Tanzania Trade Development Authority,” Mukisa maintained.
Femu Limited had previously signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TANTRADE) under the Development Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) to promote Tanzanian products in the United Kingdom.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Central Park Bees Limited, Joseph Kadendula, said the new development will help to boost beekeeping and honey processing sectors in the country.
According to Kadendula, Tanzania produces 30 tons of honey annually, but only 10 percent of that manage to penetrate into international markets.
Central Park Bees plans to ship the maiden 10 tons of Swahili Honey to the United Kingdom by the end of January 2025, with plans to ensure at least ten percent of the country’s sweet syrup reaches international markets by the year 2028.
He appreciated the concerted support the company has so far received from the government, and other players in the sector that enabled it to produce the best honey products that meet the set international standards.
He urged other local honey processors to make gainfully use of the vast UK honey markets.
“Central Park Bees Ltd dedication to improving the beekeeping sector aligns perfectly with Femu Ltd’s mission to export authentic, quality honey to UK consumers, benefiting from Tanzania’s rich natural resources,” he added.
The Acting Chairperson of the Tanzania Beekeeping Development Organization (TABEDO) Kaizerege Camara, who witnessed the signing ceremony, said the development has opened a successful window for the local honey products to penetrate to the overseas markets.
He hailed the UK based company, Femu for becoming the first foreign entity to consider purchasing processed and packaged honey from Tanzania.
“This contract will now enable Tanzania’s honey products to be marketed at the UK’s key supermarkets, an eagerly -awaited development for the country’s apiculture sector,” he said.
The sealed contract, Camara detailed, will see both companies fostering further collaborations and stimulate growth in the agricultural trade sector, creating mutual benefits for both nations.