Zanzibar State Trading Corporation (ZSTC) has also introduced a digital system for purchasing cloves directly from farmers, replacing the old system that required them to transport produce to buying centres
Unguja. President Hussein Mwinyi has said Zanzibar’s clove production continues to decline because many farmers have abandoned their farms after repeatedly being dispossessed of their harvests.
Dr Mwinyi made the remarks during the launch of a programme to distribute land title deeds for government-owned agricultural farms, particularly those used for clove cultivation, in North Pemba Region.
He said a government review found that production now stands at less than 10 tonnes a year—far below the 100,000 tonnes produced in Indonesia, which has similar climatic conditions.
“We realised that farmers have stopped maintaining their farms because they see no benefit. When the harvest season comes, they are often dispossessed of their crops, so they have chosen to abandon the farms,” he said.
The President said the government’s goal is to restore confidence among farmers and increase production by more than double the current levels.
“We will ensure that new seedlings are planted and provide interest-free loans. I believe that within a short time, we can reach 20 tonnes per year or more,” Dr Mwinyi added.
He urged farmers to work their farms productively, assuring them that the government would no longer tolerate any form of exploitation.
According to Dr Mwinyi, the issuance of land titles will help eliminate land disputes, secure farmers’ ownership rights, and encourage long-term investment in agriculture.
He said the Zanzibar State Trading Corporation (ZSTC) has also introduced a digital system for purchasing cloves directly from farmers, replacing the old system that required them to transport produce to buying centres.
“ZSTC now buys directly from farmers in their areas to save them transportation costs. It has also started offering insurance for clove pickers in case of accidents and continues to distribute free clove seedlings,” he said.
Dr Mwinyi added that ZSTC will continue paying farmers 80 percent of sales proceeds, maintaining the current arrangement where the state corporation buys and exports cloves on behalf of the government.
Land Commission Executive Secretary Mussa Kombo Thabit said verification revealed that Zanzibar has 8,215 government-owned farms distributed after the 1964 Revolution, when each citizen was allocated three acres.
He said the process of issuing land titles began in Unguja, where 112 titles have already been granted, and has now started in Pemba with the first 30 titles issued.
Mr Thabit said some farms had been poorly managed, leading to multiple ownership conflicts, while some individuals were found to hold more than nine acres—contrary to the Land Act of 1992, which limits ownership to three acres per person.
“Anyone who has developed only part of their farm and neglected the rest, or violated ownership conditions, should have the excess land repossessed and reallocated to others who can make better use of it,” he said.
Minister for Lands, Housing and Settlements Rahma Kassim Ali said her ministry would closely oversee the process despite the logistical challenges involved.
“We have more than 8,000 farms to survey, and we want to move quickly so that every farmer gets their title deed and can develop their land,” she said.
North Pemba Regional Commissioner Salama Mbarouk said the initiative would help reduce land disputes and ensure farmers remember President Mwinyi for his decisive leadership.
One of the beneficiaries, Halima Khamis Ali, said the programme was a relief for many farmers who had long suffered losses during harvests.
“We used to plant and care for the clove trees, but when it was time to harvest, others would come and take everything. This initiative will truly help many farmers,” she said
