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Product quality, safety crucial for development
The Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has emphasized that product quality and safety are key to achieving the country's development goals.
Speaking at the recently concluded Nanenane International Agricultural Exhibition in Dodoma, TBS Central Zone Manager Nickonia Mwambene highlighted that maintaining high standards of quality and safety is essential for gaining consumer confidence and accessing both domestic and international markets.
Mwambene urged producers to adhere to standards throughout the entire production value chain, from farming and the use of quality inputs to proper storage, transportation, and processing in compliance with industry standards. He noted that TBS used this year's Nanenane Exhibition to emphasize the importance of education on standards for producers.
"Quality products not only facilitate easier passage through customs and enhance market competitiveness but also protect consumers from harm, reducing the government's healthcare burden caused by substandard products," Mwambene said.
He likened standards to a passport, essential for doing business both locally and internationally, and stressed that products failing to meet these standards would be excluded from markets.
The government, through TBS, is committed to supporting entrepreneurs by offering free education and inspections to help them meet quality standards, thus enabling them to grow and compete effectively. Mwambene also pointed out that the establishment of open market boundaries within the EAC, SADC, and AfCFTA presents opportunities for Tanzanian products to enter other markets without barriers, provided they meet the required standards.
"If we do not meet the standards, we will be excluded from the market because we cannot compete with quality and safe products that meet the standards," he added.
Mwambene concluded by reaffirming the government's dedication to empowering entrepreneurs, recognizing agriculture as a business that, when conducted properly, can produce competitive, high-quality products for both local and international markets.
