Government warns traders over mixing crops

Dar es Salaam. The Minister for Industry and Trade, Dr Selemani Jafo, has warned Tanzanians over mixing export crops, telling them that such tendency reduces the value of the produces and tarnish the image of the country in the international markets.

Dr Jafo, who visited Mpako Warehouse, which uses the Warehouse Receipt System, during a special tour of Liwale District in the Lindi Region, also instructed the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) to continue monitoring and ensuring the quality of produces sold through the system, urging the Weights and Measures Agency (WMA) to ensure all scales measure crops accurately.

The minister’s tour aimed to inspect development projects and interact with the local people, under the theme "Let them hear and see President Samia and Development," which is done from September 17–21, 2024.

"I instruct the Warehouse Receipts Regulatory Board (WRRB) to hold a meeting with the cashew board within 20 days to assess how long cashews should remain in storage, and to conduct in-depth research on the issue of wilting in cashew crops to ensure farmers benefit from their agricultural produce," he said.

Executive director of the WRRB, Mr Asangye Bangu, said that he will implement the given instructions and urged the citizens to continue using the system which allows farmers to sell their produce at better prices.

He also encouraged them to store only high-quality crops in the warehouses.

In another development, Dr Jafo called on the people to collaborate in overseeing the effective and productive implementation of development projects within their district.

He emphasised the importance of completing the projects on time so they can start serving the public, in line with the objectives of the government to provide better social services to its citizens.