Tanzanian seaweed output jumps in Q3 2023 after tax policy changes

Tanzania’s seaweed production increased by more than 52 percent year over year in Q3 2023 as the sector took advantage of higher prices and lower costs for export permits, thanks to an initiative the country’s government instituted in June. Statistics from the Bank of Tanzania show the nation's seaweed production during the period reached 3,972 metric tons (MT) – a slight improvement over the 3,932 MT produced in Q2 2023. The East African country’s total seaweed output between January and September of this year amounted to 10,592 MT.Tanzania’s production is comprised almost entirely of the species E. spinosum, and the country is currently the African leader in seaweed production – ahead of Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa, and Kenya.A June tax policy change implemented by Tanzania’s Ministry of Finance was a major factor in ensuring the country’s seaweed production has continued to improve, as the ministry announced a reduction in the fee required to attain export and import ...