Tanzania: Government seeks outward markets for maize as harvests soar

Dar es Salaam – The government is looking for foreign markets to export maize as production increases.

Expressing at the opening of a two-day workshop bringing together stakeholders from the agricultural sector on the sector's position in industrialization, the Minister of Agriculture and Trade Cooperatives, Mr. Japhet Hasunga, said his ministry had dispatched officials to several countries in search of markets.

"We sent our agents to Kenya, South Sudan, Malawi and Congo-DRC to see if our farmers could sell their maize there, and we opened the door to our farmers and traders. they export the product to the country of their choice, "he noted. Until now, it has recorded a surplus of over 123% maize in the country.

Tanzania is the largest maize producer in East Africa, although it has yet to fully exploit its market potential. "Our plan is also to expand local consumption by establishing more processing plants," he added.

He also admitted that the government, although eager to meet the challenges of production, had not prepared enough market platforms. For his part, the minister said the government had formed a team dedicated to reviving the cashew processing industries. "More than 20 factories have been set up for cashew processing, but most of them do not work and are now used as stores," he said. "We have sent our teams to inspect and suggest the measures to be taken to revive the plants, and our goal is to ensure that all cashews are processed locally," he said.

The chairman of the Tanzanian Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), Salumu Shamte, suggested that farmers be included in the management and ownership of processing industries.

"Farmers must become shareholders of any company or factory that invests in the sector, ensuring that they have access to all the necessary information and operational activities, including markets," he said. declared.

Until now, farmers are exploited due to lack of market information, prices and demand.