Tanzania expecting 10 million tonnes maize harvest

By Kimuri Mwangi

Tanzania produced more than 8.1m tons of maize in the 2022/23 season. According to Tanzania agriculture minister Hussein Bashe, the country’s maize needs are not more than 6 million tonnes and for a long time, the trade pattern has grown to Kenya, Congo and Rwanda.

Currently, some farmers have started harvesting and the prices have started to go down. The government continues to buy maize at a price of Tshs 750 through the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA). Bashe says the government will continue to buy maize as it did in the 2022/23 season to protect the farmers without affecting the consumers. The issue of fertilizer subsidy will also continue as he has instructed the Tanzania Fertilizer Regulatory Authority (TFRA) that if a farmer has finished his/her slot for this season and is returning to the farm, the system should not be closed to enable them to get fertilizer.

On the regional outlook, the biggest producers of maize are Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia and Uganda. Due to the effects of El Nino, Zambia and South Africa currently do not have maize.

***Tanzania Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe***

Bashe adds that Malawi and Mozambique are experiencing a shortage of maize this year presenting a great opportunity. “Our production expectations this 2023/24 season is that we will reach 10 million tonnes of maize and 5m tonnes of rice. The projection is more than that and countries with shortages have started communicating with us,” says the minister.

The minister advised Tanzanian traders to take advantage of the shortage in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique by using the Embassies in these countries to get customers. The Kenyan market is expected to start late until July-August where Tanzania competes with Uganda for customers.

Bashe also advises maize farmers who planted in Nov and Dec to start harvesting and take advantage of the upcoming rains to plant Open-Pollinated Varieties and Hybrid seeds like sunflower which are being distributed by the government as subsidies. He also urges them not to rush selling the maize at a bargain price but to preserve and protect the quality since prices will get better from June.

“Our initial assessment of the demand for the countries I mentioned without Kenya is more than 1.2m tonnes. The basic thing to realize when you go to other countries is to understand their laws. The Government’s mission is for this business to be done more by the private sector instead of government to government,” opines Bashe.

Tags: Maize, Tanzania, Waziri Bashe, Waziri Hussein Bashe

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Two traders have been intercepted while trying to smuggle 6200 litres of ethanol while concealed in maize and wheat bran bags. Stephen Njuguna Kironji, owner of goods and Kenneth Karanja Kimaku who was the driver of a motor vehicle registration number KCG 865K. The driver was arrested on 13th June 2021 in Kinangop area along Nakuru Nairobi Highway and the owner was arrested at Mugumu Police Station where the vehicle was detained. The customs duty of the goods is Kshs 2,571,924. The 30 drums of ethanol were concealed inside their Isuzu lorry using 46 bags of maize and 37 bags of wheat bran which were neatly arranged at the rear and side doors. Before their arrest, the two failed to produce importation documents, a licence or registration by KRA, and which are a requirement to import excisable goods such as ethanol. The suspects were charged with three counts relating to tax evasion on Tuesday 15th June 2021 before Engineers Law Court Resident Magistrate Hon Rawlings Musiega. They faced charges of; fraudulent evasion of payment of duty, importation of Excisable goods without a licence or being registered and that of conveying uncustomed goods. The charges are offences under various sections of the East African Community and Customs Management Act 2004, the Excise Duty Act No 23 of 2015 and Excise Duty (Excisable Goods Management System Regulations 2017. They denied the charges and were released on a bond of Kshs 300,000 and a surety or a cash bail of Ksh 150,000 each. In order to import excisable goods such as ethanol into Kenya, importers are required to pay customs duty for the

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