Tanzania to sell 500,000 tonnes of maize to DRC
Wednesday May 22 2024
Workers spread dry maize in Nakuru County, Kenya on May 11, 2023. PHOTO | NMG
Tanzania is set to sell 500,000 tonnes of maize to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is currently facing a food shortage.
An agreement was signed on Tuesday in the capital Dodoma between the state-run National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) and Quincy Company, based in DRC's Katanga Province.
Gerald Mweri, permanent secretary in Tanzania's Ministry of Agriculture, said the first consignment will consist of 200,000 tonnes of maize, followed by the remaining 300,000 tonnes.
Andrew Komba, NFRA's executive director, said the food reserve agency has sufficient stock to sell surplus food to neighboring countries facing shortages.
Read: Kenya loses 42pc of Tanzania maize imports
He added that the NFRA will begin purchasing food, including maize and paddy, from farmers starting July 1, coinciding with the beginning of the 2024/2025 financial year.