The government has banned small scale farmers in Ruvuma region from selling maize grains to local brokers saying all agricultural surplus crops should be sold directly to the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA).
The directive was issued mid this week by Songea District Commissioner Joseph Mkirikiti while addressing the public at the agricultural Nane Nane exhibition at Msamala in Songea district.
The DC said it was a perennial habit for untrustworthy brokers to buy maize from small scale peasants at cheap prices and inflate three times the price on selling to consumers.
He said, “The government will buy maize produce at Sh500 a kilogramme in order to allow farmers in the district to benefit from their produce”
Mkirikiti urged youth to join cooperative groups that will help them to access agriculture loans and inputs in order to increase their produce that will later lead to increasing their income as well.
Earlier this week, the business community in Rukwa Region announced that they have secured a market for their agricultural products especially maize in the Democratic Republic of Congo after the government through NFRA showed unwillingness to purchase their products.
Through the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) Rukwa farmers will sale thousands of tons of their maize harvest to the DRC because the NFRA had only allocated funds to purchase 35,000 tons which was less than what the farmers have in their stock.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
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