Samunge and Kilombero Markets, located strategically outside Arusha city centre in Northern Tanzania, function as crucial wholesale distribution hubs connecting local, regional, and cross-border food supply chains. These markets aggregate staple products—such as maize, beans, rice, and vegetables—from surrounding local smallholders (Arusha, Meru, Monduli, Karatu), regional flows from Northern Tanzania, and cross-border trade from Southern Kenya, establishing Arusha as a key commercial hub in the East African food system. Operating under municipal ownership and managed by the Arusha City Council, the markets provide governance and infrastructure. Trading patterns are often gender-differentiated, with men predominantly managing wholesale areas and women operating the surrounding retail kiosks. Price discovery relies on direct negotiation and peer-to-peer quality assessment, while trust-based advance payments to farmers create forward contracting arrangements. The markets significantly enhance regional food security by creating reliable distribution channels between production areas and urban centres. Diversified sourcing from multiple supply chains boosts resilience against localised shocks or harvest failures. Small-scale producers benefit from improved market access, larger buyer networks, and the economic integration that strengthens regional trade, including East African cross-border relations. Despite their vital role, the markets face several challenges:

• Infrastructure: Inadequate storage, particularly limited cold storage, increases post-harvest losses. Overcrowding results from growing trader numbers straining existing capacity.
• Accessibility: Poor road conditions in rural areas increase distribution costs and limit accessibility for remote producers.
• Finance & Risk: Traders often rely on informal credit arrangements, and price volatility complicates business planning.
• Food Safety: While quality control relies on flexible peer-to-peer assessment, documented agrotoxic cases highlight a severe risk. This stems from producers employing excessive chemicals due to inadequate knowledge, compromising food safety.

In response, the Arusha municipality launched the “ni muhimu kwa afya” (it is important for health) food safety initiative in 2020, in line with the Milan Food Policy Pact, which focuses on trader education and enhancing hygiene infrastructure, such as hand-washing points.