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Tanzania Plants Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA) asserted that maize grain seeds harvested from the country do not pose a risk of transmitting viruses causing Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND)
Tanzania Plants Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA) asserted that maize grain seeds harvested from the country do not pose a risk of transmitting viruses causing Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND). This is contained in a report given by the Director General of TPHPA, Professor Joseph Ndunguru. A survey conducted in different zones in Tanzania has shown that there is no sign of the virus causing MLND.
The comprehensive survey of MLND was conducted in the Lake Zone (Mwanza, Kagera, Shinyanga, Mara), Northern Zone (Kilimanjaro, Manyara, Arusha) Southern Highlands Zone (Ruvuma, Njombe, Iringa, Rukwa and Katavi), Central zone (Dodoma and Singida), Western Zone (Tabora) and the Eastern Zone (Tanga and Morogoro),” said Prof Ndunguru.
Prof Ndunguru said that MLND of maize is caused by a combination of Maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) and any of the cereal viruses in the Potyviridae group including Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), Maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV), Maize mosaic virus (MMV) and Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV).
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On December 18 and 19 2023, TPHPA imposed an import ban on maize and soybeans from Malawi because a thorough pest risk analysis was conducted to update the phytosanitary import requirements of produce from Malawi. TPHPA’s Pest Risk Analysis identified the presence of the Tobacco Ringspot Virus (TRSV) in Malawi which poses a significant risk to soybean production in Tanzania. The ban was imposed on shipments aimed to safeguard the rapidly growing soybean subsector in Tanzania, protecting local farmers from potential economic losses and preventing the introduction and spread of the virus.
