Abstract
Non-compliance with standard weights and measures in agricultural marketing in Tanzania compelled this paper to examined factors hindering use of standard weights and measures along Irish potato supply chain. To address this challenge a cross section research design was used to develop data collection plan and probability sampling was used to draw a representative sample from a sampling frame. The findings revealed that weak enforcement of the regulations governing compliance to standard weights and measures, weak extension services that failed to provide reliable market information to farmers, lack of negotiation skills among smallholder farmers against local brokers / traders coupled with inadequate market infrastructure with appropriate weights and measure facilities provide incentives for local brokers and traders to exploit smallholder farmers. For the sake of fair deals in transactions associated with Irish potato along the supply chain this paper recommends the best practices to ensure responsible business practices among actors.
Highlights
The main economic activities in Njombe region are agriculture, livestock keeping, forestation and small businesses (Koizumi, 2007; Regional Commissioner RC, 2016)
There are actors along the supply chain who claim that traders have complied with the regulations since the packaging materials have changed from the previous practice and others are claiming the current practice still does not comply with the requirement of the regulations (Agricultural Council of Tanzania ACT, 2018)
While the proponents argue that there is compliance among traders on the use of the standard weights and measures, the opponents argue that the problem of non compliance still exist there is a minor shift on the modality of packaging. This controversy raises an important question on: Question 2: What are the current practices on the use of standard weights and measures along the potato supply chain?
Summary
The main economic activities in Njombe region are agriculture, livestock keeping, forestation and small businesses (Koizumi, 2007; Regional Commissioner RC, 2016). The problem of not using standards weights and measures for agricultural produce started in the early eighties when the government of Tanzania adopted trade liberalization policies (TCCIA, 2013a) It was at this time when the private sector was given legal freedom to operate business with minimum regulations. There are actors along the supply chain who claim that traders have complied with the regulations since the packaging materials have changed from the previous practice (lumbesa) and others are claiming the current practice still does not comply with the requirement of the regulations (Agricultural Council of Tanzania ACT, 2018) In view of this debate, this paper responds to a series of empirical questions such as; who are the key actors along the Irish potato supply chain responsible for the malpractices of not using standard weights and measures?
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