Why is Tanzania hanging on to tobacco farming?
Tanzania, Africa’s third largest tobacco producer, hasn’t aligned its local legislation with the WHO requirements, while encouraging tobacco farming
As the majority of African countries work towards a tobacco free world, Tanzania - the third largest producer on the continent - is still hanging onto the crop as part of its revenue.
The country’s health ministry has been discouraging smoking, with data showing 17 thousand Tanzanians are killed by tobacco related diseases each year.
But the ministry of agriculture has been supporting tobacco farming, with reports indicating local politicians are key stakeholders in the tobacco industry.
For Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja looks at why Tanzania is hanging onto tobacco farming, and why a bill prepared more than five years ago to align local legislation with the requirements of the World Health Organisation is yet to be tabled in parliament.
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