Tanzania's seaweed farmers pin hopes on upcoming import expo in Shanghai

DAR ES SALAAM — After more than two decades of growing seaweed off Tanzania's Zanzibar, Bahati Issa Suleiman is looking to China for better prices and new opportunities for her family.

The 51-year-old mother of eight hopes the ninth China International Import Expo, or CIIE, which opens in Shanghai on Nov 5, will help Zanzibar's seaweed reach more Chinese buyers and gain wider recognition in the international market.

For Suleiman, seaweed farming has long been a vital source of income, helping her family cover daily expenses and pay school fees. She has also seen fellow farmers use their earnings to buy land and build houses.

"When our seaweed reaches China, we will announce ourselves to the world," Suleiman said, hoping greater market exposure would encourage more people to return to seaweed farming and strengthen household incomes.

Her aspirations reflect Zanzibar's broader efforts to turn its marine resources into a stronger driver of economic growth by moving beyond raw-material exports toward higher-value products.

Zahor Kassim El-Kharousy, deputy principal secretary in Zanzibar's Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries, said the CIIE and similar international exhibitions offer an opportunity to connect local producers with buyers and investors, addressing a major challenge facing the seaweed industry.

"Currently, 99 percent of the seaweed that we export outside the country is raw," he said, describing the transition to value-added products as a key government priority.

El-Kharousy said stronger links between producers, processors and markets could encourage investment in processing facilities, expand the range of seaweed-based products and enable Zanzibar to capture a greater share of the value generated along the supply chain.

For farmers, this could translate into more reliable markets and better prices. For local businesses, it could create opportunities in processing, packaging, transportation and export logistics, while generating employment, particularly for women, who dominate seaweed cultivation in Zanzibar.

China is already an important destination for Zanzibar's marine products, including seaweed and sea cucumbers, El-Kharousy said.

He added that the ministry was also promoting the production of value-added sea cucumber products to expand the sector's contribution to the blue economy.

The size of the Chinese market offers opportunities for Zanzibar to expand exports, but the ministry official emphasized that businesses must understand consumer preferences and meet prospective buyers' requirements.

Companies participating in the Shanghai expo should therefore use the platform not only to showcase their products but also to establish commercial partnerships and identify opportunities to develop products suited to Chinese market demand, he said.

For Zanzibar, the potential benefits extend beyond immediate export orders. Business contacts made at the expo could attract investment, facilitate technology transfer and help local enterprises improve product quality, processing capacity and access to international supply chain, he added.

China's decision to remove tariffs on eligible imports from Tanzania could also provide additional opportunities for exporters.

Suleiman believed expanding the Chinese market could motivate farmers who have abandoned the activity to resume cultivation, increasing production and strengthening the industry's economic contribution.

"Once our seaweed arrives in China and gets promoted, I believe the price will increase," she said.

XINHUA