Tanzania Not Likely to Ban Tobacco Farming

Source from:  Tanzania Daily News  11/05/2013

DESPITE calls by anti-tobacco activists for Tanzania to ban or reduce production of tobacco, the government is not likely to do so in the near future until a credible alternative crop is in place to enable farmers continue to earn incomes.

A Quarterly Economic Review report released by the Economic and Social Research Foundation recently indicate that Tanzania's tobacco subsector is a success story.

"The anti-smoking activists in Tanzania are not impressed with this achievement or government intentions to boost the industry and have been calling for reduction of production of the crop or ban it altogether," reads the report in part.

According to the report tobacco is the main source of income for about 70,000 Tanzanian farmers, mostly in smallholder farming. The reports further attributes part of the success of the sector to private companies operating in the country such as Universal Corporation inc, which is the World's biggest tobacco leaf dealer that owns both the Tanzania Tobacco Processors Limited (TTPL) and Tanzania Leaf Tobacco Company (TLTC).

"TLTC is providing extension services to small satellite villages, a service which is in line with sustenance of the environment and has centres of excellence in Urambo Tabora, Lupa Tingatinga in Chunya and Likenangena in Ruvuma," said the report.

According to the review, there was a decline in tobacco production during the first quarter of this year and this was attributed to market instability, late rains in the producing areas and their early ending as well as disruptions in distribution of farm inputs.

Tobacco leaf sorting, according to the review, has been facing shortages of classifiers that have led to many complaints from the farmers on how deliveries are sorted.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives has promised to wrestle with these problems by enhancing the professional capacity in tobacco growing areas. The review further notes, there will also be a more dynamic search for markets overseas, such as China and MoU on quality and quarantine was signed between Tanzania and China in March this year. Enditem