Dodoma — Tanzania's agricultural produce enjoys a favourable market share in South Sudan without benefiting local farmers as traders repackage the same to show they are from Kenya.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr Christopher Chiza said that the government has already sent a delegation to Juba to look into the matter.

The delegation that was headed by Bahi District Commissioner, Mrs Betty Mkwasa, found that Tanzanian produce is very popular in the country and advised the government to do more to tap into the market. According to Mr Chiza, traders from Kenya come into the country and buy farm produce which they later repackage and brand as from Kenya before exporting the produce to Juba.

He said that it is time export of farm produce should no longer be banned and instead we should focus on producing more to tap into both the local and foreign markets. The minister was speaking at the opening of the 2013 Agriculture Exhibition held at Nzuguni grounds in Dodoma.

Mr Chiza's sentiments were echoed by Mrs Mkwasa who said that what they found in South Sudan astonished the delegation. "We found that rice from Bahi, onions, bananas and other produce from Tanzania being sold in South Sudan and they are actually very popular but we were also informed that they entered from Kenya," she said.

She said that they have already recommended to the government to improve infrastructure and empower locals to improve packaging of produce to take advantage of the market in South Sudan. Meanwhile, the minister had also called on district councils to set aside land and provide them to young graduates who are willing to take up farming as a means of self-employment.

Mr Chiza said the government wants to employ youths and needs to use agriculture as a mean of empowering them economically. "When you want to help young people we must make sure that we provide them with land. Some may hesitate to take up farming on land that does not belong to them," he said.

Earlier, Dodoma Regional Commissioner (RC), Dr Rehema Nchimbi said that it is time the government followed up on youths who complete national service and ensure that they engage in farming. She also lamented that there is lack of market for grapes that are grown in the region.

The RC was also quick to brush aside the perception that Dodoma is a dry place thus the need to grow drought resistant crops, hinting that the region has fertile soil but only lacks water. She called upon the minister to assist in bringing into the region more irrigation schemes to ensure that agriculture takes hold in the region.