Tobacco sales in Tanzania increased to 57 million kg in 2020-2021 from 39 million kg in 2017-2018, reports All Africa, citing Deputy Minister for Agriculture Hussein Bashe.
During 2020-2021, about eight local buying companies had entered into contracts with producers of tobacco countrywide, he said.
Bashe told Parliament the government was continuing to lure farmers by insisting on contract buying, looking for new buyers as well as looking for international markets.
He added that the government was equally eyeing the Chinese market and already the government had brought another seedling of the product and trials had been made, where the sample had been forwarded to relevant authorities for further procedures.