Tanzania: TFDA partners with regulators to train food traders

Small-scale food entrepreneurs in Shinyanga are currently receiving training on hygiene and food quality to improve safety and protect the health of consumers against traders who control a significant share of the commodity market. food.

The Deputy Director of Food Safety and Drugs of the Food and Drug Authority (TFDA) of Tanzania, Mr. Justin Makisi, said the training in Shinyanga was part of a national initiative to train small traders in Tanzania. food products that control 74% of the food market.

Entrepreneurs need education on issues related to food health to improve the quality and quantity of products while protecting consumers, he said.

"The TFDA organizes training in different places and already 24 regions and their districts, municipalities and cities have been covered," he said during the training.

In addition to health and safety, the objectives of the training focused on building the capacity of entrepreneurs and improving products to ensure that some of them would pass to the major producers.

Makisi said government agencies have been involved in signing a memorandum of understanding to make it easier for small-scale food manufacturers. The agencies in question are TFDA, BRELA, the Tanzanian Trade Development Authority (TanTrade), the Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) and the Tanzania Bureau of Standardization (TBS).

The agency partnership allows small manufacturers to register their premises and test and certify samples for free, whereas they need 50,000 / – for business registration.

Shinyanga District Commissioner Zainab Telack, represented by Jasinta Mboneko, District Commissioner (DC), said the training was a good opportunity for entrepreneurs to get a firsthand education on how to do business. improvement of their products, services and product quality.

She said training is important to enable their products to compete not only locally but also regionally, turning the country into an industrial state by 2025.

"This training can help you overcome some of the hurdles needed to obtain the TFDA and TBS certifications," said Mboneko.

Directors of Gogogo Mills, Mr. Goodliving Kileo, welcomed the decision of government agencies to join an initiative to simplify their activities while reducing some expenses.