Tanzania will export 650,000 tonnes of maize to Zambia in a deal aimed at alleviating food shortages caused by a prolonged drought, a senior government official announced on Sunday.
Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe stated that the agreement, expected to feed about 7 million people in Zambia, will be implemented over eight months and will generate $250 million for Tanzania.
The agreement was signed by Andrew Komba, director general of Tanzania’s National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), and Zambia’s national disaster coordinator, Gabriel Pollen.
The maize will be supplied from four NFRA warehouses in southwestern Tanzania.
Tanzania, a major producer of grains and cereals in East Africa, frequently exports significant quantities to regional markets.
