Govt encourages traders to export cereals

THE government is encouraging crop traders to export cereals outside the country and promised it will ease issuance of export permits, as it foresees bumper harvest of food crops especially maize in the 2014/15 season.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives said in a statement over the weekend that permits to export grains will be issued free of charge by the ministry and the Regional Administrative Secretaries (RASs) of all regions in Tanzania Mainland.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives has delegated the authority to issue food export permits to the Regional Administrative Secretaries to speed up the process.

“In order to deal with the challenges and enable the farmers to get a reliable market for the produce, the government is encouraging traders to sell their crops anywhere in and outside the country by following law and order,” said the ministry in the statement issued by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Elias Shayo.

According to the ministry, the domestic market will not be able to absorb all the harvests and satisfy the needs of farmers due to increase productivity in the previous season.

The ministry said efforts currently being undertaken include easing of issuing of export permits which the ministry has been issuing and coordinating according to the law.

“To facilitate and speed up the procedure at this period of food crop surplus, the government would like to inform the people that the permits are obtained free of charge.

Application for food export permits will have to include information of the applicant, type of crop and amount, the country which the crops will be sold to and business licence and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).

SOURCE: DAILY NEWS

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