Tanga. In the lush green hills of Muheza District in Tanga Region, cocoa farming is steadily reshaping the fortunes of smallholder farmers who once depended on middlemen and unstable markets.
Through the warehouse receipt system (WRS) and a shift towards organic farming, growers in Mashewa village and surrounding areas say they are now earning higher incomes, enjoying stronger bargaining power, and accessing a more stable market that has enabled them to invest in housing, education, and other basic needs.
For decades, farmers in the area struggled with fluctuating prices dictated by middlemen, leaving them with little control over earnings from their harvests.
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