In May 2023, Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture issued a directive requiring that agricultural produce—particularly when purchased by foreign buyers—be traded through recognised auction markets or the Warehouse Receipt System (WRS), such as the Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX), rather than directly from farmers. Effective from 1 July 2023, the measure, grounded in the Cereals and Other Produce Act, 2009 and related trade licensing regulations, was intended to protect farmers from unfair pricing, enhance transparency, ensure payments were processed through formal banking channels, and collect accurate market data. While it was not a new Act of Parliament, the directive strengthened the enforcement of existing laws and required buyers to be licensed and registered with authorised market systems. Although it primarily targeted foreign buyers, it also encouraged the same transparent trading practices for all large-scale produce transactions within the country
