Ministry awaits communication on soya beans import ban

The Ministry of Trade and Industry says it has not received official communication from the Tanzanian Government on the presence  of Tobacco Ringspot Virus in soyabeans from Malawi.

The ministry’s spokesperson Mayeso Msokera was reacting to an import ban on soyabeans from Malawi issued by Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticide Authority which said the disease poses a high risk for the production of soyabeans in Tanzania.

In a statement dated December 19 2023, Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticide Authority said the Tobacco Ringspot Virus is a highly contagious disease.

But Msokera said the scientific studies on the quality and safety of agricultural products are done by the Ministry of Agriculture through the Department of Agriculture Research.

“When we saw the notice, we reached out to them for clarification and we are still waiting on the same,” he said.

The soya import ban came a few days after the Malawi’s Department of Agricultural Research Services banned the importation of maize from Kenya and Tanzania pending risk analysis as the two countries have Maize Lethal Necrosis, a devastating disease.

In an interview, Grain Traders and Processors Association of Malawi chairperson Grace Mijiga-Mhango said the ban on imports of soya beans from Malawi will be costly to local farmers and traders.

She said the ban will cause them to lose out on their investment