Tanzania: Govt Looking for Additional Tobacco Market in China

Posted on :Tuesday , 21st June 2016

Dodoma — Members of Parliament from tobacco growing areas have been assured that the government is working round the clock to look for markets of the cash crop worldwide, particularly in China, which is the largest buyer of tobacco.

The assurance was made in the National Assembly by the newly-appointed Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Charles Tizeba, when responding to a basic question by Urambo MP, Ms Margaret Sitta (CCM).

Ms Sitta had complained of numerous nuisance levies on the cash crop and lack of market which she said were pushing down tobacco farmers in her constituency and other regions in the country.

In response, Dr Tizeba said the government through the Tobacco Board of Tanzania was still in discussions with buyers in China, noting on the other hand the crop levy charged on tobacco would be reduced to lift the burden on farmers.

"A company from China known as Sunshine has shown willingness to buy the crop from Tanzania, and at present it is working to secure an import permit from the Chinese government," Dr Tizeba explained.

The minister went on to add that since the last farming season, the Japan Tobacco International (JTI) had started purchasing the cash crop locally and as a result providing reliable market for local farmers.

JTI is the majority shareholder of Tanzania Cigarette Company Limited (TCC). Dr Tizeba told the August House that apart from the lack of reliable market, prices for tobacco in the world market were on the decline.

In another development, the minister said the government will employ 35 tobacco classifiers in the next financial year to curb shortage of workforce required to sort and classify the crop in grades.

Dr Tizeba was prompted to make the explanation in a response to a supplementary question by Kyerwa MP, Mr Innocent Bilakwata (CCM) who complained over lack of skilled classifiers.

The MP alleged that due to the shortage, the few present in the industry have been asking for bribes from farmers before they provide their services.

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