Tanzanian authorities have urged maize farmers to seek markets in neighbouring countries for their surplus.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the country expects a bumper harvest, and the surplus will exceed the preliminary demand assessment of maize, more than 1,2 million tonnes estimated for export markets in neighbouring countries.

The National Food Reserve Agency is set to purchase cereals from farmers earlier in July due to expected bumper maize harvests from key growing areas in the southern region.

National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) executive director Dr Andrew Komba said the agency was set to start buying maize, rice and other food crops from farmers for storage and selling to local and foreign food markets beginning July.

NFRA strategy was to manage food reserves to ensure sustainable supply that would meet both domestic and export needs, the food agency officials said.

The agency had opened 14 crop purchasing centres in leading maize producing areas in the southern highlands. Ministry of Agriculture had allocated Tsh300 billion (US$115 million) for buying some 300 000 tonnes of food crops during the harvesting season between June and July.

Minister for Agriculture Hussein Bashe said Tanzania expects to produce 31,5 million tonnes of food crops compared with 20.4 million tonnes harvested last year. He zsaid the country expects to harvest over 10 million tonnes of maize during the 2024 season that runs between mid-June and July. -