
The tonnage of fresh meat exports Swissport handles at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam increased 15% year-on-year in both 2020 and 2021, and was up almost 50% in the first six months of this fiscal year.
The fresh meat handled in Dar es Salaam is flown to the Middle East, specifically to Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the UAE.
Fresh meat accounts for half of the overall perishable cargo exports out of Dar es Salaam with the other half consisting of vegetables, fruits, flowers and fish.
At the airport, Swissport is the only cargo handler to provide temperature-controlled cargo facilities and perishable handling services.
Dirk Goovaerts, Head of Continental Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Global Cargo Chair at Swissport, said: “The recent export figures reflect an increasing demand for fresh meat products. And they indicate that the Middle East is a reliable export market for Tanzanian producers. Swissport Tanzania, with its state-of-the-art cargo operation in Dar es Salaam and its expertise in handling perishables, plays a vital role in the supply chain.”
Mrisho Yassin, Managing Director of Swissport Tanzania, added: “Our successful cargo operation must be attributed to the highly professional staff. We regularly provide and ensure compliance training of handling temperature-sensitive perishables and we have strict monitoring procedures in place.”