There will be no regulation of the price of maize and other cereals in Tanzania despite a growing shortage that has seen the local staple food hit $47.9 per 100-kilogramme up from $28.3 last year.
The country’s President, John Magufuli announced that the government will not intervene and will instead allow market forces to regulate prices.
He urges farmers to make the most out of the situation as producers adding that they have earned the right to determine their earnings and should do so.
Read: Tanzania to export 700,000 tonnes of maize to Zimbabwe
There is a high demand for maize in the Southern African Development Co-operation as well as East Africa where maize is a staple. Tanzanian farmers are free to sell their produce to Zambia, Malawi, DR Congo, Kenya and South Africa. Dar es Salaam is the most hit by the increase in maize prices. In most city suburbs, the average cost for 1kg of maize flour retails for between $0.6 and $0.7 compared with the previous quarter when it retailed for between $0.4 and $0.5.
