No ban to food export, insists Samia

TANZANIA : PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has insisted that Tanzania has not banned export of agricultural produce.

Instead, the East Africa member state is working on procedures that will allow foreign traders to trade with Tanzania comfortably.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan said under outlined procedures, the government will be able to know the amount of produce being exported and income generated so as to control the unscrupulous traders.

“The process will also help the government overseeing the purchase, sale and transportation of our products,” said Dr Samia as she brought down the curtain for the annual National Farmers Day Exhibition (Nanenane) 2023.

The Head of State also directed Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with President’s Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Governments (PO-RALG), Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and Tanzania Immigration Services Department to come up with a joint system that will formalizing the trading of produce outside the country for the benefit of both country and farmers.

“The current experience is that vehicles coming from neighboring countries enters directly to our regions and nobody ask about them and go directly to the farmers to buy crops and pay them in our local currency… if we put in place a good purchasing system and be able to control those vehicles going directly to the farmer, we will be able to know how we sell and how we are paid ,” she said.