TANZANIA Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) Investment Company has signed a trade pact with the joint business association of Comoro to facilitate agribusiness between the two countries.

The agreement, which seeks to implement the Kilimo Kwanza programme, was signed in Dar es Salaam by the TCCIA Investment Co. Ltd Acting Chairperson, Gideon Kaunda, and the Managing Director of the joint business association of Comoro, Said Chaihane.

Speaking at the ceremony, Kaunda said the deal on agriculture products was historic and that it was aimed at implementing the Kilimo Kwanza programme.

He said the agreement has opened doors for business between the two countries and that it was an opportunity for farmers and business people to utilize it to carry out trade in agricultural products.

Kaunda noted that discussions for the agreement had started sometime back following visits by the Tanzanian company to explore business opportunities in Comoro.

To start with, he said the Comoros' company has already ordered six tonnes of onions from Tanzania as a gesture of opening up business opportunities for farm products.

He urged members of TCCIA to make use of the business opportunities by communicating with the Comoros' company as well as improving agricultural production in order to meet the demand.

"We have now started but we aim at encouraging improved agricultural production in order to foster agribusiness since this is an opportunity for farmers to benefit,” he said.

On his part, the joint business association of Comoro MD, Said Chaihane said the trade agreement on agriculture products was just the beginning and that the main objective is strengthen trade relations between the two countries.

"This is just a beginning, we would be happy to strengthen trade relations between us and support the government of Tanzania's Kilimo Kwanza programme and in realising this, that is why we started with agricultural products,” he noted.

Chaihane said his company has been longing for products from Tanzania and that the pact would enable them to import more products from Tanzania.

"Our aim is not to trade in farm products only but we will deal in other products depending on demand at home,” said Chaihane.

He said his company initially sourced its products from Madagascar but realised that it was too far compared to Tanzania.

Chaihane said to start with, they need six tonnes of onions, four tonnes of potato, three tonnes of maize as well as ten tonnes of rice and five tonnes of maize floor.

The Chief Executive Officer of TCCIA Investment Co .Ltd, Donald Kamori, said the signing was just the beginning, noting that his company was well prepared to meet the demand of the Comoros' market.