At 13m tonnes, Tanzania is headed for a food surplus

Tanzania is projected to produce more than 12.8 million tonnes of food this year — 7.7 million tonnes cereals and 5.1 million tonne non-cereal.

This means the country will have a surplus to export to other countries. In the 2010/2011 season, the country requires about 11.4 million tonnes of food which translates to a surplus of 1.4 million tonnes.

Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Co-operatives Stephen Wassira said that maize production is estimated at 4.73 million tonnes compared with the 3.42 million tonnes harvested in 2009.

Mr Wassira said the assessments also indicate that rice, sorghum and millet production have gone up by 33 percent and 31 per cent to 1.12 million tonnes and 1.18 million tonnes respectively while wheat production has decreased by 36 per cent to 62,000 tonnes.

“Crop assessments also indicate substantial production increases of non-cereal food crops including potatoes, cassava and plantains,” he explained.

The overall cereal surplus is made up of maize and rice surpluses of 199,000 tonnes and 441,000 tonnes respectively but deficits in wheat, sorghum and millet of 135,000 tonnes and 301,000 tonnes respectively.

The government said that given the expected surpluses in non-cereal food crops, the country is likely to have exportable surpluses especially in rice.

A vulnerability assessment carried out in February indicated that some 718,000 people needed humanitarian assistance.

However, this number is expected to go down substantially, when the assessment for the 2010/2011 marketing year is done.

In October, the government in October this year temporarily lifted a ban on food exports after harvest figures showed the country would record a surplus of grain production this year as government farm subsidies start to pay off.

Tanzanian Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said easing restrictions involved the commercial export of maize grain and flour.

Mr Pinda said that Tanzania suspended food exports in January 2009 to stabilise domestic prices following drought and a rise in food prices on the world market.

Tanzania has been struggling to feed its estimated population of 40.7 million, and the government has to frequently appeal for food aid from donors to meet local production deficits.

In July 2010, the food situation in the country was satisfactory despite food shortage in some districts.
During the month, Iringa rural district received 1,000 tonnes of food assistance to alleviate food shortages in some parts of the district.

Cumulatively, from July 2009 to July government distributed 162,894 tonnes of grain at subsidised prices or freely to districts facing food shortages.