Tanzania’s Agriculture Minister Hussein Mohamed Bashe ordered all tobacco-buying companies to settle more than $5 million in overdue payments to farmers by October 20. He further instructed companies to include interest as compensation for delayed payments and to submit written explanations to the police detailing the reasons for the arrears, along with payment schedules to ensure full settlement.
“I am giving you 21 days, until the 30th of the month,” Bashe said during an Oct. 9 meeting with company executives, bankers, and buyers. “I don’t want to hear of any farmer complaining about unpaid dues. It is unacceptable that a new farming season starts while farmers are still waiting for payments from the previous one.”
In support of the directive, Tabora Regional Commissioner Paul Chacha ordered companies still owing money to report regularly to the police “until they have paid everything,” warning that these companies “have been a constant source of trouble” for farmers.
Bashe also called for creating a national digital farmer registry, jointly managed by tobacco buyers, banks, and the government, to record data on farm size, crop type, and output for greater transparency.