Honey processor sweet on Chinese market

DAR ES SALAAM — Four employees of a honey processing company located at Goba, 18 kilometers north of Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam, are busy making final preparations for their participation at the seventh edition of the China International Import Expo, which will be held in Shanghai from Nov 5 through Nov 10.

"We hope to capture the Chinese market of 1.4 billion people after showcasing our honey products during the five-day expo," said Jackson Mponela, production manager for commerce and development at Tanzania Future Enterprises Co Ltd.

The company, which produces, processes, packages, and sells beekeeping products, is among the 34 Tanzanian exhibitors at this year's CIIE, where they will showcase a variety of goods, including honey, agricultural produce, textiles, minerals, handicrafts, and industrial goods.

"Our honey products that will feature at the seventh CIIE include bee pollen, natural honey, honey sachets, and bee wax," Mponela told Xinhua in an interview on Monday.

With the motto "Home of Great Taste" and brand name "Jamii Honey", loosely translated into English as "Community Honey", Mponela is optimistic that the seventh CIIE will open and expand the market for his company's beekeeping products.

"Our company was established about a year ago, but production went up this February after we acquired a honey sachet processing machine from China, which has enabled us to produce honey sachets for use in homes and hotels," he said.

Mponela said his company was introduced to the CIIE by the Tanzania Trade Development Authority, a government agency that works toward enhancing Tanzania's economic performance through the development and promotion of goods and services for both local and foreign markets.

He said he looked forward to attracting more customers for beekeeping products at the CIIE because, apart from the Chinese market, the expo will also be attended by exhibitors from across the globe.

"Honey has a lot of uses for human beings. It is used by people with high blood pressure and obesity, and it can cure people burned by fire," he said, adding that bee wax is also used for industrial purposes.

Mponela said the Chinese market is more accessible than those in the United States and Europe, where the procedures are complicated and bureaucratic. He praised South-South cooperation, saying it has helped African countries, including Tanzania, acquire the technological know-how from China that boosts the production of various goods.

Mponela said Chinese-made machines are sold at affordable prices to people in developing countries, especially in Africa. "The machines we acquired from China have helped us boost the quantity and quality of our products," he said.

In mid-October, Tanzania's Zanzibar Minister for Trade and Industrial Development Omar Said Shaaban said the seventh CIIE will provide a platform for showcasing Tanzanian products and services to one of the largest consumer markets in the world.

"Through the seventh CIIE, we aim to raise global awareness of the 'Made in Tanzania' brand, which reflects our products' quality, sustainability, and uniqueness," said Shaaban.

Xinhua