A Tanzanian businessman was forced to apologize to President John Magufuli for labeling his fertilizer product as being from Kenya.
The incident occurred when Tanzania Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa visited the Minjingu Mines and Fertilizer facility and discovered that the fertilizer bags were marked with a Kenyan address, specifically "Bungoma County Government".
Prime Minister Majaliwa ordered the plant management to apologize to President Magufuli on behalf of Tanzanians for the mistake. He also instructed the manufacturers to start labeling the farm inputs as Tanzanian products.
According to Majaliwa, he inspected the firm after receiving complaints from residents of Manyara Province about the fertilizer not being sold to them despite the firm being local. Experts have revealed that the fertilizer significantly improves crop productivity.
Majaliwa expressed his disappointment upon finding the Kenyan address on the fertilizer bags, stating, "This is totally unacceptable... if the product is made in Tanzania, it should be so labeled."
The Minjingu Phosphate Company (MIPCO), the statutory mining company behind the fertilizer, was established under the Tanzania State Mining Corporation (STAMICO).
The recovered account cited reporting by Tuko.
