Peas market deteriorates as India stops buying

Dodoma. The government is talking with India to rescue local peas whose market is deteriorating after the Asian country stopped buying it.

Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment Mr Charles Mwijage said on Thursday, September 14, 2017 that India promised to buy Tanzania's peas when its Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, visited the country last year but later stopped.

"India had a deficit of five million tonnesof peas and the country managed to bridge the gap through increased local production. From that they stopped buying our peas," he told the National Assembly.

MrMwijage was responding to a supplementary question fromLulindi lawmaker,Mr Jerome Bwanausi (CCM), who was concerned about deteriorating market of the crop.

Some sources in Dodoma had it that a kilogram of peas had dropped from Sh3,000 to Sh1,800.

The basic question was about the market of ginger asked by Ms Anne KilangoMalecela (Special Seats-CCM).

"There is increasing awareness about production of ginger in Same, Kigoma, Mbeya and Ruvuma. What is the government doing to find markets," she asked.

MrMwijage said there were efforts to market local ginger and currently 21 companies are involved in exporting Tanzania spices including ginger.