Tanzania, May 2 -- Dar es Salaam. Following a sharp rise in sugar prices earlier this year, the government is undertaking a raft of measures to prevent a recurrence of the situation.

They include giving the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) the authority to buy and store sugar, Agriculture minister Hussein Bashe told Parliament on Thursday.

Requesting Parliament to endorse Sh1.249 trillion as the ministry's budget in 2024/25, Mr Bashe said changes to the law governing NFRA will be instituted through the Finance Act, 2024.

Sugar shortages, which usually result in steep price increases, occur frequently in Tanzania, with the latest cycle having started in January 2024.

Mr Bashe said during that period, wholesalers sold the commodity a...