Zanzibar clove farmers cautioned against street sales amid fraudulent practices

Pemba. Clove farmers on Pemba Island have been cautioned against selling their cloves to street vendors as the practice not only violates the Zanzibar Clove Development Act, but also exposes them to fraud due to the use of inaccurate measuring units.

Speaking to journalists in Wawi-Chake Chake, Sudi Said Ali, the Managing Director of Zanzibar State Trading Corporation (ZSTC), pointed out that the measuring units used by the middlemen had a larger capacity compared to the standard measure.

Ali made the statement on July 19, 2024, after uncovering the irregular measuring practices during this season’s clove crop inspections.

“Some individuals who do not support the progress of farmers have been purchasing cloves on the streets, contrary to the law, and using inaccurate measuring units,” he said.

He exemplified that a weighing scale confiscated from one of the middlemen, who bought cloves from the farmers, weighed two kilograms each, whereas the correct measure is one and a quarter kilograms.

“While inspecting various areas in Chake Chake District and Mkoani to assess the progress of the crop among farmers, we discovered that some people had been buying cloves from citizens on the streets, even though the corporation had not yet started the clove purchasing exercise,” Sudi said.

He explained that the corporation had been actively providing farmers with seedlings to increase the production of the clove crop, but such efforts, he said, had been undermined by some individuals.

Further, he called upon farmers not to sell their cloves to anyone, saying that the corporation had not authorized anyone to purchase cloves on its behalf and instead he wanted them to wait for the launch of the new clove season.

He added that the corporation, in collaboration with regional and district security committees, would continue to monitor those approaching and deceiving the farmers into selling their cloves, saying that those caught would face legal action.

Abdalla Ali Ussi, the Deputy Secretary of the corporation on Pemba Island, stated that they had been advising farmers to refrain from activities that undermine the clove crop.

Some farmers, however, admitted that they sometimes sold cloves to street vendors because they were making immediate payments, unlike the corporations, whose payments were delayed due to bureaucratic processes.