How African birds-eye chili is farmers’ new ‘green gold’

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Despite low production, traders from Kenya have been gathering the crop from Tanzania and Uganda for packaging and exports making it the largest exporter in the region

Dar es Salaam. Any farmer in Tanzania making the decision to take up the cultivation of African birds-eye chili stands a better chances of succeeding financially.
This is because of higher prices paid for it by Vitese Company Limited, averaging Sh7,000 per kilo.
The company has been mobilising increased crop production through contract farming with interested farmers.
Under the contract farming, interested farmers are supposed to procure 80 grams of better African birds-eye chili seeds from the company for Sh150,000.
“A farmer who has signed a contract with the company will be provided with agricultural expertise from nursery preparation to harvesting and storage,” says Mr Richard Isingo, the company’s northern and central zone manager.
He challenges Tanzanians to grab the opportunity and benefit from cultivation of the crop, noting that it was cheap and unaffected by pests and diseases.
According to him, farmers engaging in the crop are free from losses incurred by dealers in perishable crops’ production.
Mr Isingo says African birds-eye chili was a huge opportunity to Tanzania farmers due to existence of a huge demand--it is used as spices and raw material in the manufacture of cosmetics (lipstick). The crop is also used for manufacturing human and plants medicines as well as military weapons including tear gas and irritants.
According to him, there is a huge market of the crop in Japan, UK, US, India and South Africa, noting that his company had a contract to export 30 tonnes in different markets every week.
“This is a large amount that cannot be met by the company,” he says during a telephone interview.
Mr Isingo says that, while Zambia is the continent’s leading country in the African birds-eye chili production, Kenya tops East African countries in the crop’s exports.
“Despite low production, traders in Kenya have been gathering the crop from Tanzania and Uganda for packaging and exports making it the largest exporter in the region,” he says.
He says African birds-eye chili is classified into four Grades A, B, C and D, noting that Grade A and B are exported to Asia, Europe and America where it is used as food.

According to him, Grade C and D crops are exported to South Africa where it is used in the manufacture of military weapons.
“At the farm level, all the African birds-eye chili are classified as Grade A. However, the way of handling after harvests that lowers its quality therefore classifying degraded products as Grades B, C and D,” he told The Citizen.
He says in order to meet client’s gratifications, the company has projected to mobilise farmers to cultivate 10,000 acres between 2020 and 2022.
According to him, one African birds-eye chili plant can provide a kilo of the crop, estimating that farmers can collect up to Sh10 million per season.
“Evaluations we made on October 2021 shows that already we have cultivated 7,000 acres in different parts of the country. Hopefully, the number will significantly increase during the next assessment later this year,” he says.