Tanzania has ample food stocks: BoT

What you need to know:

  • In 2018, Tanzania was involved in a major sale of its food stock to the World Food Program (WFP). 31,000 tonnes of maize worth Sh18 billion was sold.

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania had ample food in the year to January 31, 2019, a report by the central bank shows.

That happened because harvests were bumper in the 2017/18 crop season. The Bank of Tanzania’s economic review for February reported that food stocks held by the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) on January 31, 2019 amounted to 93,037 tonnes, higher than 91,947 tonnes on January 31, 2018.

“Food supply remained adequate in most parts of the country following good harvests in the 2017/18 crop season,” it assured.

The stock remained adequate although NFRA sold food to the World Food Programme (WFP).

During his visit to Tanzania last year, WFP executive director David Beasley said the organisation planning to buy 75,000 tonnes of maize in the country for six months.

Some of crops were to be bought directly from farmers.

Early this year, deputy Agriculture minister Innocent Bashungwa confirmed that NFRA sold 31,000 tonnes of maize worth Sh18 billion to WFP in 2018.

“WFP is a major buyer of food and we will make sure we create a conducive environment for business with them for this cooperation to continue and help the 65 per cent of our population who are farmers,” he said.