Agriculture & Trade

Animal Feed Registration Tanzania: Premises, Import Permits and Labels

Cover: animal feed registration Tanzania, premises certificates, import permits and feed labels
How feed mills, importers, dealers and stores register with the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries on the Mainland, and what Zanzibar requires.
Direct answer

Who registers an animal feed business in Mainland Tanzania? The Director of Grazing-land and Animal Feed Resources at the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries. Manufacturing, selling and storage premises are registered under the Grazing-land and Animal Feed Resources Act, Cap. 180. Commercial importers register and take a permit for each consignment under GN 328 of 2021. Labels must carry the guaranteed analysis.

Animal feed registration in Tanzania is a Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries matter, not a TFRA, TOSCI or TPHPA one. A feed mill, an importer of poultry concentrate, a dealer selling maize bran and a warehouse holding sunflower cake all fall under one statute: the Grazing-land and Animal Feed Resources Act, Cap. 180. The Director of Grazing-land and Animal Feed Resources registers premises, issues permits and appoints the inspectors who sample feed in the market.

This guide covers Mainland Tanzania, where the Act applies. Zanzibar is treated separately below.

What the law says

The parent law is the Grazing-land and Animal Feed Resources Act, No. 13 of 2010. The Act text is on TanzLII, and a scanned copy is held in the FAO FAOLEX database. The regulations made under section 44 cite it as Cap. 180. Section 2 says the Act applies to Mainland Tanzania.

The sections a feed business meets most often are these:

The Written Laws (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, No. 3 of 2020 lists the Act among the laws it amends. We could not read the amending text, so check the current consolidated version before relying on any single section.

Which regulations apply to feed businesses?

Three sets of regulations under section 44 carry most of the detail. Each was read from the published Government Notice.

InstrumentWhat it coversStatus
Standards of Animal Feed Resources Regulations, 2013, GN 58 of 2013Nutrient and contaminant limits, formula feed standards, adulteration, good manufacturing practice, labelling and recordsIn force on the Mainland
Storage Requirements for Animal Feeds Regulations, 2013, GN 54 of 2013Storage structures, pallets, pest control, SOPs for manufacturers, importers, dealers, retailers and commercial farmsIn force on the Mainland
Import and Export of Animal Feed Resources Regulations, 2021, GN 328 of 2021Importer and exporter registration, permits, port inspection, release, condemnation and offencesIn force; revoked GN 663 of 2018

The standards regulations, GN 58 of 2013, set nutrient composition for ingredients and formula feeds for poultry, cattle, sheep and goats, horses, fish, camels and rabbits. They cap mycotoxins at 10 parts per billion and list adulteration, such as mixing salt or sand into fish meal.

The storage regulations, GN 54 of 2013, require approved SOPs, feed on pallets off the floor, a sketch of vermin bait points and sealed containers for opened bags.

The import and export regulations, GN 328 of 2021, published on 16 April 2021, run the cross-border side.

Who is affected

Livestock keepers who mix feed for their own animals are not the target of premises registration. A farm that sells feed to others is. If you also keep birds commercially, read our guide to the poultry farming licence in Tanzania.

How is feed regulation different from fertiliser, seeds and pesticides?

One registration does not cover every product on an input dealer's shelf. Each input has its own regulator.

InputRegulatorMain lawOur guide
Animal feed and feed ingredientsDirector of Grazing-land and Animal Feed Resources, Ministry of Livestock and FisheriesGrazing-land and Animal Feed Resources Act, Cap. 180This guide
FertiliserTanzania Fertilizer Regulatory Authority (TFRA)Fertilizers ActRegistering a fertiliser
SeedTanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI)Seeds ActSeed dealer registration
PesticidesTanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA)Plant Health ActPesticide registration
Veterinary medicinesTanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA)Medicines and medical devices lawTMDA retention fees

An agro-vet shop that sells feed, fertiliser and dewormers may therefore need a Ministry feed shop certificate, a TFRA dealer licence and TMDA premises approval. Dairy businesses can meet a further overlap. The government's own Blueprint for Regulatory Reforms, April 2018, recorded duplicate registration of feed manufacturers under the feed Act and the Dairy Industry Act. See our note on Tanzania Dairy Board registration.

How do you register feed premises with the Ministry?

The Ministry's livestock permits service page says companies, groups and individuals that produce, sell or store animal feed must register their premises. Applications go through the Ministry's online livestock information system after you open an account.

The page lists these documents:

The supervising expert requirement mirrors section 21(3) of the Act. Budget for that salary or retainer from day one.

The Ministry's client service charter of June 2023 sets service times once an application is complete. Feed processing factories and feed warehouses are registered within five working days. Feed shops are registered within five days. Feed transporters and importers are registered within three working days.

Inspectors check the premises against the GMP rules in GN 58 and the storage rules in GN 54.

Do you need to register each feed product?

Yes, for registrable products that are imported. GN 328 of 2021 asks an importer to attach a product registration certificate when registering. Its Second Schedule lists registrable products, including poultry, pig, cattle and fish feeds, fish meal and premixes.

The same schedule lists non-registrable products of variable quality, such as cotton seed cake, groundnut cake, hay and molasses. These are controlled by risk-based testing rather than product registration. It also lists restricted products: feed containing growth hormones, feed containing antibiotics, and genetically modified feed.

For locally made feed, GN 58 of 2013 sets the compositional standard each formula must meet. We did not find a separate published regulation that sets a product registration procedure or fee for locally made feed. Ask the Director's office which products in your range need their own certificate.

Once a product is registered, regulation 14 of GN 328 bars any change to its composition, packaging or labelling without the Director's written approval. Reformulating a layer mash to cut cost is a change.

What does an importer need before a feed consignment ships?

GN 328 of 2021 splits the work into registration of the importer and a permit for each consignment.

  1. Importer registration. A commercial importer not already registered as a manufacturer or dealer applies on Form No. 1. Attach proof of legal entity, physical address, TIN, the storage premises certificate and the product registration certificate. The Director issues the certificate within four working days.
  2. Import permit. Apply on Form No. 2. The Director may ask for the pro forma invoice, the manufacturer's certificate of analysis, a GMP certificate, a phytosanitary or zoosanitary certificate and, where relevant, a radiation-free certificate.
  3. Permit terms. The permit is issued within three days, is valid for three months, covers one consignment and cannot be transferred. Up to two part shipments may be allowed under one permit.
  4. Arrival inspection. A feed inspector checks each consignment before it leaves the customs area and may take samples. The importer pays the analysis cost.
  5. Release or refusal. A compliant lot is stamped approved for release. A failing lot is stopped and sealed. Unsafe feed is condemned and destroyed, and unregistered feed is re-exported.

Feed passing through Tanzania to another country needs an in-transit permit under regulation 9. Non-commercial imports for research, donation or personal use do not register, but still need a permit.

The three-month validity is short when a vessel is delayed. Our livestock export permit guide shows how Ministry permits sit beside TRA clearance.

Does PVoC apply to imported animal feed?

It may. The TBS Guideline for the PVoC Programme, 2025, applies to goods on the TBS regulated products list. Goods covered by a compulsory Tanzania Standard are the usual candidates. The guideline itself does not name animal feed, so check the current list with TBS before shipping.

TBS has made several feed standards compulsory. Its notice of standards gazetted in GN 642 of 2025, published 31 October 2025, lists these as compulsory:

Other feed standards, such as poultry and pig feed specifications, appear in the TBS catalogue. We did not confirm the compulsory status of each one, so check the TBS catalogue for your product. Our PVoC and TBS import conformity guide explains the routes and the certificate of conformity.

If a feed is on the list, the PVoC fee is 0.50% of FOB under Route A, with a minimum of USD 250 and a maximum of USD 5,000 (register F0355). A regulated consignment arriving without a certificate faces a penalty of 15% of invoice value plus destination inspection costs (F0359).

What must an animal feed label show?

Section 34(1) of the Act bars selling or holding for sale feed in an unlabelled container. Section 34(2) bars false or misleading labels about nature, quality, efficacy, safety or use. Under section 34(3), every container must show:

The Seventh Schedule to GN 58 of 2013 adds the lot identifier, the main ingredients, the intended species and the place of origin. For medicated feed, the label must state the drug content, its purpose and how the feed is used. GN 328 requires import documents in English or Kiswahili, with certified translations for other languages.

Where do veterinary rules touch feed?

Feed regulation and veterinary regulation overlap in three places.

The Tanzania Veterinary Laboratories Agency tests feed samples. In June 2024, Food Business Middle East and Africa reported that a joint TVLA and Ministry inspection in Arusha had found adulterated feed. TVLA asked producers to submit samples for testing. Feed and Grain reported the same push on standards the same month.

What are the penalties for breaching the feed rules?

Penalties sit in the Act and in each set of regulations. The wording differs, so the instrument you are charged under matters.

BreachPenalty on convictionSource
Any breach of the Act with no specific penalty, such as manufacturing without a permitFine up to TZS 1 million, or up to six months' imprisonment, or bothAct s.39
Container not labelled with the section 34(3) particularsFine up to TZS 3 million, or imprisonment, or bothAct s.34(4)
Tampering with a feed sampleFine up to TZS 3 million, or up to two years' imprisonment, or bothAct s.13
Any breach of the import and export regulationsFine of TZS 1 million to TZS 5 million, or six months to two years' imprisonmentGN 328 of 2021, reg.20
Any breach of the standards regulationsFine of not less than TZS 1 million, or not less than six months' imprisonment, or bothGN 58 of 2013, reg.12
Failure to meet storage requirementsFine of not less than TZS 1 million, or six months' imprisonment, or bothGN 54 of 2013, reg.6

A condemned consignment is destroyed at the importer's expense, and the Director may suspend or revoke a registration after a 90-day notice of intention. If you face prosecution, an advocate should confirm the charging section.

Worked example: a poultry concentrate importer in Dar es Salaam

A Dar es Salaam company plans to import 200 tonnes of layer concentrate a quarter and sell it through its own shop. The FOB value of each consignment is USD 120,000. Here is the regulatory cost map for the first shipment, using register figures where they exist.

StepCharge or requirementAmount or source
Premises certificate for the warehouse and shopFee assessed by the MinistryFigure to confirm; certificate valid three years (Act s.27)
Importer registration and product certificateFee assessed by the MinistryFigure to confirm
Import permit and port inspectionEighth Schedule to GN 328, charged per tonne in USDFigure to confirm
PVoC certificate, if the product is listed (Route A)0.50% of USD 120,000 = USD 600F0355
Penalty if listed but shipped without a certificate15% of USD 120,000 = USD 18,000, plus inspection costsF0359
Movement permit to send feed upcountryTZS 5,000 per permitNEW-07-22
Laboratory analysis of arrival samplesPaid by the importerGN 328, reg.17

A missed PVoC check costs thirty times the certificate. A missing import permit can cost the whole USD 120,000 cargo through re-export or destruction. Allow at least two weeks for registration, product certificates and the first permit before the supplier loads.

All government charges here are paid at the official rate against a control number issued by the authority. They are separate from Zatra's professional fee for preparing the file.

What other licences does a feed business need?

Our livestock value-chain investment guide sets these permits against the commercial case for a mill.

How does Zanzibar regulate animal feed?

Section 2 of the Act limits it to Mainland Tanzania, and GN 328 of 2021 is also stated to apply to the Mainland. A Mainland premises certificate or import permit therefore does not cover a store or a consignment in Unguja or Pemba.

We could not confirm a Zanzibar statute or regulation dedicated to animal feed registration at the date of this article. Feed businesses in Zanzibar should ask the Zanzibar ministry responsible for livestock which law it applies, and whether the Zanzibar Bureau of Standards or the Zanzibar Food and Drug Agency has a role for their product. Our note on why ZFDA, not TMDA, regulates in Zanzibar explains the split, and the Zanzibar business licence guide covers the trading licence.

Feed shipped from Zanzibar to the Mainland enters Mainland control. Expect the Mainland permit and inspection rules to apply at the port of entry, and confirm with the Director before shipping.

What to do now

  1. Classify the activity. List whether you manufacture, import, export, sell, store or transport feed, because each has its own certificate or permit.
  2. Classify the products. Mark each product as registrable, non-registrable or restricted under the Second Schedule to GN 328.
  3. Set up the entity. Complete BRELA registration, TIN and the business licence before you apply to the Ministry.
  4. Hire the feed scientist. Engage a qualified animal scientist and keep the degree certificate ready for the application.
  5. Prepare the premises. Fit the store to the GN 54 storage rules and write the GMP SOPs that GN 58 expects.
  6. Apply online. Open an account on the Ministry system, attach the documents and request the premises certificate.
  7. Check TBS status. Confirm whether a compulsory standard and PVoC apply to each imported product before you place the order.
  8. Fix the labels. Print the section 34(3) particulars and the GN 58 labelling items, and freeze the artwork once approved.
  9. Time the permit. Apply for the import permit close to loading, so its three-month validity covers the voyage.
  10. Diary renewals. Record the three-year renewal date of each premises certificate and any annual NEMC payment.

Key dates

EventTime limitSource
Premises certificate validityThree years, renewable on payment of the prescribed feeAct s.27(1)
Importer registration certificateWithin four working days of a complete applicationGN 328, reg.6
Import permit issueWithin three daysGN 328, reg.7
Import or export permit validityThree months, one consignmentGN 328, regs.7 and 13
Notice before suspension or revocation90 daysGN 328, reg.6
Factory, shop and warehouse registrationFive days after a complete applicationMinistry client service charter, June 2023
Import and export permits (charter standard)Two working daysMinistry client service charter, June 2023

The regulation and the charter give slightly different permit times. Treat the longer one as your planning figure.

How Zatra helps

Zatra maps the permits for a feed project, prepares the Ministry applications, assembles importer and product files, and checks TBS and PVoC status before an order is placed. Our sector permits service runs the Ministry, TBS and council files together. Our import and export compliance service lines up the permit, PVoC certificate and customs clearance for each consignment. Our business licensing service handles the council licence.

A seizure, condemnation order, prosecution, appeal against a refusal or a formal legal opinion goes to an advocate, who represents you. Zatra prepares the file and coordinates. Zatra does not decide or guarantee any authority's outcome.

Government fees are paid to the Ministry, TBS or its PVoC agent, NEMC or the council at the official rate against a control number. They are separate from Zatra's professional fee, which we quote in writing before work starts. To begin, contact Zatra with your product list and planned volumes.

Sources and status

Accurate as at 11 November 2026.

Figures to confirm before you act

This article is general information based on official sources available at the date of publication. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws and notices change. Verify with the issuing authority or consult Zatra before acting.

Frequently asked questions

Does a small agro-vet shop selling bagged feed need Ministry registration?

Yes. The Ministry's service page lists anyone who sells animal feed as a person who must register the premises, and its charter sets a five-day service time for feed shops. The council business licence is a separate requirement and does not replace the Ministry certificate.

Can I mix feed on my farm for my own animals without a certificate?

Premises registration targets commercial production, sale and storage. Mixing for your own herd or flock is not a commercial sale. Once you sell surplus feed to neighbours or traders, you are a manufacturer and seller, and registration applies.

Is TBS certification the same as Ministry feed registration?

No. TBS certifies conformity with a Tanzania Standard and runs PVoC for listed imports. The Ministry registers premises, products and importers under the feed Act. A product can need both, and holding one does not satisfy the other.

Can one import permit cover several shipments?

No. Under GN 328 of 2021 a permit covers one consignment and lasts three months. The Director may allow the consignment to arrive in up to two parts under the initial permit. Each new order needs a new permit.

What happens if imported feed fails the inspector's test?

The consignment is stamped stop release and sealed. Feed that fails on safety or quality is condemned and destroyed. Unregistered feed is re-exported after re-inspection. The importer bears the analysis and disposal costs in each case.

Can I import feed containing antibiotics or growth promoters?

GN 328 lists feed containing antibiotics or growth hormones as a restricted product. Expect refusal unless the Director approves it in writing. Any veterinary medicine in the feed also needs TMDA registration.

Does a Mainland feed certificate let me sell in Zanzibar?

No. The Act applies to Mainland Tanzania only. Ask the Zanzibar ministry responsible for livestock which rules apply before opening a store or shipping stock to Unguja or Pemba.

Who can appeal a refused premises registration?

Section 23(4) of the Act lets an applicant who is refused registration appeal to the Minister. The Director must give reasons for a refusal. Brief an advocate to prepare the appeal, and fix the cited defects at the same time so you can reapply.

Sources & regulators

Verify before filing: Rates, forms and thresholds move by Finance Act, Government Notice and portal revision. Confirm the live schedule on the mandate-holder portal before you budget or submit. Law-firm alerts and Big Four notes are discovery only.

Brief the desk

This Insights page is orientation. Sector Business Permits in Tanzania is the commercial desk for the same facts. Zatra’s fee stays on its own line, separate from government, bank and regulator charges. Approvals are not guaranteed.

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Disclaimer

This article is informational orientation. It is not legal, tax or investment advice and not a government decision. Tanzanian instruments move by Act, Government Notice, Finance Act and portal revision. If a sentence here disagrees with the live mandate-holder, the mandate-holder wins. Zatra Consultants Limited does not issue licences, permits, tax clearances or approvals, and gives no assurance of any regulatory or banking outcome. Professional fees are published only on /pricing/.

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