The Tanzania Cereals and Mixed Crops Regulatory Authority (COPRA) has encouraged farmers and agricultural traders to embrace digital systems to simplify crop trading, improve efficiency and enhance the competitiveness of Tanzanian produce in local and international markets.
The call was made by COPRA Eastern Zone Manager, Mary Majule, during the ongoing Nanenane Agricultural Exhibition for the Eastern Zone in Morogoro Region.
Majule said COPRA is using the exhibition to educate farmers and other stakeholders about the services offered by the authority, including trader registration, licensing, permit issuance and compliance requirements in the crop trade sector.
She noted that digital platforms are helping farmers and traders access services more quickly and conveniently, reducing paperwork and improving service delivery.
“At our pavilion, we are providing information on our digital systems and showing farmers and stakeholders how they can use them to access various services easily and on time,” she said.
According to Majule, the adoption of digital technology is aimed at making crop trading more transparent, fair and competitive while improving the efficiency of regulatory services.
She said COPRA is focused on strengthening the production and trade of cereals and mixed crops, expanding the use of innovative digital systems and data management tools, promoting competitive markets and creating an enabling environment for stakeholders across the agricultural value chain.
Majule explained that the authority operates the COPRA Management Information System (COPRA MIS), a digital platform that facilitates the issuance of licences and permits, manages contract farming agreements between farmers and buyers or investors, and supports crop quality verification in line with established standards.
The system also enables the tracking of crops throughout the value chain, from production at farm level to market distribution, helping to improve transparency, efficiency and productivity in Tanzania’s agricultural sector.
The awareness campaign comes as the government continues to promote the use of digital technologies to modernise agriculture, strengthen market access and increase farmers’ incomes through more efficient and transparent trading systems.
