Dar farmers to supply grapes for locally produced Overmeer

Grape farmers on the highlands of Dodoma will benefit from an expanded market soon, following plans by Tanzania Distilleries to produce international wine brand Overmeer using locally-grown fruit.

Tanzania Distilleries is the dominant player in the country’s wine and spirits market.

It operates two cellars with a capacity of 800 tonnes a year — a fairly low figure.

This means much of its wine is imported from Distell, a partner in South Africa.

Martha Bangu, Tanzania Distilleries brand manager, said in Dar es Salaam last week that Overmeer, a stein and semi-sweet fruity white wine, will complement the dry white and red wines that the company has been producing and marketing.

She said her firm had been piloting the production of the wine since 2006, sourcing grapes from Dodoma.

Dodoma has re-established the grapes agro-industry to become an important growing area in the country.

The area is the sole producer of grapes in Tanzania, with a total acreage of 1,000 hectares per annum.

Tanzania is Africa’s second biggest wine producer after South Africa.

The country’s vineyards occupy about 150 hectares in and around Dodoma.

They are planted mostly with Makutopora, both red and white, as well as Chenin blanc, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

There are several wine producing companies in Tanzania, among them Tanzania Distilleries (which specialises in dry white and red wine), Cetawico and Dodoma Wine.

Producers say consumption is growing steadily. They predict a firm market soon after a sampling culture takes root.

Local wine farmers will be trained in new techniques to improve the quality and yields of grapes by visiting viticulture experts from Distell.

Dodoma has a huge potential for grapes because of fertile soils and good climate, experts say.