COPRA pushes formal contract farming
DODOMA: FARMERS and produce traders have been urged to embrace formal contract farming as the government moves to protect producers from exploitation, strengthen market access and eliminate losses associated with informal agreements.
The Tanzania Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA) said all contract farming agreements must now be registered under newly operational regulations to ensure legal protection for both farmers and buyers while improving transparency in agricultural trade.
Speaking in Dodoma while educating stakeholders on the Contract Farming Regulations published in the Government Gazette on June 30 this year, COPRA Agriculture Officer and Contract Farming Coordinator Ms Rehema Msauge said the new framework covers all crops that are not regulated by commodity boards.
She said the regulations are designed to protect farmers by ensuring all agreements are legally recognised, properly documented and supervised by the authority.
“Farmers and traders should avoid verbal agreements. Every contract must be in writing and legally recognised so that the authority can enforce it and protect both parties from unnecessary losses and disputes,” she said.
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Ms Msauge explained that before any contract is signed, the production area must be identified, relevant information entered into COPRA’s digital system and the draft agreement verified and formally registered.
She said the arrangement guarantees farmers a ready market by identifying buyers before harvest while also providing certainty on prices.
According to her, COPRA sets the minimum buying price after assessing production costs and prevailing market conditions to ensure farmers receive between 75 and 80 per cent of the final market value of their produce.
She added that registered contracts improve farmers’ access to credit from financial institutions and development partners while encouraging the production of quality crops that meet domestic and export market standards.
