Local Response to the Rapid Rise in Demand for Processed and Perishable Foods: Results of Inventory of Processed Food Products in Dar es Salaam
DOWNLOADMay 1, 2015 - Jason Snyder, Claire Ijumba, David Tschirley, Thomas Reardon
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EmailJason Snyder, Claire Ijumba, David Tschirley, Thomas Reardon. 2015. Local Response to the Rapid Rise in Demand for Processed and Perishable Foods: Results of an Inventory of Processed Food Products in Dar es Salaam. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Brief 6. East Lansing: Michigan State University
SUMMARY
1. Nearly 500 processed food products across five product categories (milled grains, packaged rice, dairy, fruit juices, and poultry) were identified in Dar es Salaam retail outlets;
2. Contrary to common views, local and regional processing – not imports from outside the continent - dominate this market;
3. Branding has expanded dramatically in the city in recent years. Branded maize meal now dominates in all retail outlet types; over 50 branded blended flour products can be found; even 20 brands of packaged rice can now be found, though currently limited to supermarket chains;
4. Many of the firms producing maize meal and blended flours appears to be small- and even micro in size;
5. Dar es Salaam’s retail sector is changing rapidly, with new types of stores and new types of food-oriented retail developments opening regularly;
6. Much research needs to be done to understand the likely ability of local processing firms to remain competitive in this rapidly changing market, and to identify policies and programs that could
sustainably enhance this competitiveness.
