DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities said on Monday they are taking measures aimed at addressing rising prices of fertilizers caused by challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hussein Bashe, the Minister for Agriculture, told parliament in the capital Dodoma that the government's short and long term measures include ensuring that ports in the country give priority in offloading fertilizer cargo and reducing port charges for fertilizers.
He said other measures include the use of rail to transport fertilizers and to encourage the use of alternative fertilizers and allowing competition in the importation of fertilizers.
Bashe told the House that long-term measures include encouraging more investment in fertilizers industries.
He revealed the government's initiatives to control hiked prices of fertilizers when he responded to Jacqueline Ngonyani, a Member of Parliament on special seats, who had wanted to know what the government was doing to control the prices that affected farmers in the east African nation.
Bashe said COVID-19 pandemic has pushed prices of the product in the global market. ■