David Runge (left) and his companion at Tamu Tamu Tanzania, Peter Schuurs
Yearly, East Africa imports apples price $400 million to $500 million. Regardless of this substantial demand, apples have historically not thrived within the area’s heat local weather, which favours cooler rising situations. German entrepreneur David Runge, nonetheless, noticed a chance in Tanzania, believing there was potential not solely to develop apples domestically but additionally to provide apple-based merchandise like juice.
A couple of years in the past, he and his enterprise companion Peter Schuurs invested in Tamu Tamu Tanzania, which claims to be the area’s first business apple farm and apple tree nursery, situated 540km west of Dar es Salaam. The corporate has carried out intensive analysis and improvement to establish and domesticate apple varieties that may thrive within the equatorial local weather.
The farm’s origins hint again to 2016, when two younger entrepreneurs initially established it and started researching appropriate apple varieties. Schuurs, who’s a household buddy of Runge, was the primary to recognise the potential in buying the farm, bringing the concept to Runge’s consideration.
Intrigued, Runge carried out his personal analysis and uncovered sturdy demand for apples within the East African market. “I did my very own due diligence. And [whether] whether it is in Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania, at each bus stand, in site visitors, folks would promote apples. At each grocery store you’ll discover apples. And they’re offered right here for half a greenback a bit. That’s some huge cash,” he explains.
Runge and Schuurs determined to companion, with Schuurs overseeing farm operations and Runge dealing with business features. They financed the farm’s buy with private financial savings from their earlier company careers.
Collectively, they started the method of rehabilitating the farm and placing new programs in place. Constructing on the preliminary work of the earlier homeowners, they continued R&D efforts to provide apple varieties finest suited to the area.
Promoting apple bushes has grow to be one of many firm’s key income streams. The enterprise has provided bushes to patrons throughout Africa and even so far as South America. A significant a part of their technique includes promoting apple bushes to small-scale Tanzanian farmers, with the objective of later shopping for again the apples for his or her processing operations.
Runge says that farmers sometimes begin by buying a small variety of bushes, wherever from 50 to 1,000, to see how properly they carry out. When happy with the outcomes, they return to purchase extra. Consequently, apple tree gross sales are prone to improve considerably within the coming years.
Along with supplying apple bushes, the corporate has expanded into producing apple-related merchandise, comparable to juice, cider, and dried apples.
Watch our full in-depth interview with David Runge: Why this German invested in Tanzania’s first commercial apple farm