PRESIDENT SHEIN LAUNCHES CLOVE BUYING SEASON IN ZANZIBAR

PRESIDENT Ali Mohammed Shein

Zanzibar — PRESIDENT Ali Mohammed Shein has stressed the need to develop clove farming since the crop is one of leading contributors to the Zanzibar economy.

Shein said it was imperative to develop a common agenda in collaboration with stakeholders in the promotion of clove production in the islands.

He was addressing a gathering which included officials from the Ministry of Trade, Zanzibar State Trade Corporation (ZSTC) and farmers at the launch of the 2014/2015 cloves harvest and buying season.

The president said at the function held at Mkoani, in South Pemba region, that Zanzibar's economy still relied on cloves, adding, "We need to increase and sustain clove production for more foreign earnings."

According to ZSTC, the sole buyers of cloves in the isles, about 56bn/- was received from the sale of 4,200 tonnes of Zanzibar's leading commercial crop.

Mr Nassor Ahmed Mazrui, minister responsible for Cloves Trade, said his office was fully prepared for the business, urging farmers to sell cloves only to ZSTC and avoid illegal selling to unauthorised agents.

He announced that the new buying prices would be 14,000/- a kilo for first grade, 12,000/- for second grade and 10,000/- for third grade.

The minister appealed to farmers to improve cloves production to fulfil the demand on the world market in order to boost Zanzibar's forex earnings through exports.