This archive report was first published on 26 July 2019.
On July 26, 2019, Tanzania and Kenya reached an agreement to supply one million metric tonnes of maize and flour to Kenya over a period of 12 months to address a corn shortage.
According to Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation Hussein Bashe, Kenyan officials requested one million metric tonnes of maize, which Tanzania agreed to supply within 12 months.
The supply will involve maize flour, raw maize, and rice, with 20,000 metric tonnes to be supplied immediately from the National Food Reserve Agency (NFA) and the Cereals and Other Produce Board of Tanzania.
The focal point for the initial supply will be Makambako and Songea, with officials from relevant departments responsible for issuing permits working together to fast-track the process.
A technical team from Kenya will meet their Tanzanian counterparts next week to come up with a framework agreement for the supply of food crops to Kenya.
The team will involve officials from the Kenya Bureau of Statistics, Kenya Revenue Authority, Department of Food and Plant Health Services, and Millers Association, while the Tanzanian team will include officials from the NFA, the Cereals and Other Produce Board of Tanzania, Department of Plant Health Services, and Tanzania Revenue Authority.
Deputy Minister Bashe has given the Kenyan team a deadline of the following Friday to come up with a framework agreement for the supply of food crops to Kenya.
