MBEYA, May 23 -- THE government is considering the takeover of more than 2,000 hectares of idle Mohamed Enterprises Limited (MeTL) tea estates in Mbeya Region in a move aimed at protecting tea farmers and reviving production.

Deputy Minister for Agriculture Mr David Silinde told the National Assembly yesterday that the government is currently negotiating with the company to ensure tea production resumes while also exploring the possibility of purchasing the estates and reallocating them to smallholder farmers.

He said this while responding to a basic question by Anton Mwantona (Rungwe-CCM), who wanted to know when the government would repossess more than 2,000 hectares of MeTL tea estates that have remained unused and redistribute the l...