Bashe acts tough on Amcos leaders in Songwe Region

Songwe. Agriculture minister Hussein Bashe has directed that two fertiliser dealers be blacklisted for allegedly indulging in deceptive practices that resulted in the illegal acquisition of 600 bags of subsidised fertiliser.

The minister also ordered the arrest of leaders of the Isaiso Agriculture Marketing Cooperative Society (Amcos) as punishment for failing to pay farmers, whose coffee had been auctioned.

Mr Bashe made the decision on Thursday, when he began a two-day inspection of the region’s activities under his docket. Receiving the regional report, the minister, who doubles as the Nzega Urban legislator, was told that two agricultural input dealers were arrested for allegedly providing false information that enabled them to acquire 400 and 200 bags of subsidised fertiliser, respectively.

According to the report, the agents inflated the number of subsidised fertiliser bags distributed to farmers, which allowed them to keep the excess for personal gain.

What irritated the minister were reports that the two dealers were released on bail regardless of the sabotage done to farmers and the sector in general.

“Despite the decision to invalidate their business licences undertaken by regional authorities, my directive is that they shouldn’t be given permits to do any business in the sector,” he said.

“I’m not the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Home Affairs Minister or the Regional Police Commander (RPC). However, I suggest legal action be taken against any person who steals subsidised fertiliser in order to set a precedent for others,” he added.

He wondered why such people could be granted bail, hinting that incidents of fertiliser theft are directly linked to economic sabotage.

“There are many people who have been remanded after being accused of stealing chickens, oranges and other small things but the two have been set free,” he wondered.

“Although I’m not a lawyer, I understand the right to bail, but stealing subsidised fertiliser is an act of economic sabotage because the fertiliser was purchased with taxpayers’ money,” he continued.

He directed the Regional Commissioner and the defence and security committees to address the issue and formulate a plan of action, with the overarching message that there should be no jokes about subsidised fertilisers.

“I’m going to write to the president about this because we’ve been up all night trying to help Tanzanian farmers, but there are people who steal subsidised fertiliser and get away with it,” he said.

“What are we doing? Rather than setting a precedent for others, such incidents will encourage others to steal agricultural inputs, believing they will be released soon after being arrested,” he added.

Mr Bashe said the person who was arrested with 200 bags of subsidised fertiliser claimed to own farms in Mbozi; however, the fertiliser was confiscated in Ileje District.

“How can such a person be set free?” He wondered.

The minister said he was aware of the chronic dirty games in the region, hinting that a large number of agents were arrested for selling fake fertilizer between 2014 and 2016.

“This region has been rife with this problem even at the time when vouchers were in use. During that time, cases of fake vouchers used to be reported in this region. Recently, traders in the region have been implicated in the smuggling of subsidised inputs to neighbouring countries,” he said.

Speaking in Isansa Village in the region, Mr Bashe ordered the arrest of Isaiso Agriculture Marketing Cooperative Society (Amcos) leaders for failure to pay farmers, whose coffee had been auctioned.

His directive comes in response to farmers’ complaints submitted to the minister through the Mbozi lawmaker, Mr George Mwenisongole.

“These are poor farmers who took their produce to the Amcos. Their produce was auctioned, but nothing has been paid to them, subjecting them to unnecessary hardships,” lamented the legislator.

Amcos secretary Sued Mgala said that the farmers’ money was safe in a bank account while they awaited confirmation of the amount the cooperative society owed the farmers before the payments were made.

However, Mr Bashe directed the police to arrest the Amcos secretary and colleagues.

“They should be released after the farmers have been paid their money. “It is not acceptable that a farmer secured two bags of fertiliser from the Amcos and was denied payment of Sh1.4 million,” he said, adding that such incidents have instilled farmers’ hatred for cooperatives.

The RC’s statement

Songwe Regional Commissioner Waziri Kindamba informed the minister that efforts were being made to resolve the issue. He swore to see to it that the battle against the vice was won.

“It seems there are loopholes somewhere, especially in the legal system. We are going to come up with strategies to unplug all the loopholes and ensure nobody plays with subsidised fertiliser for the broad benefit of farmers, the region, and the general public,” he said.

The proposed crackdown

The CCM regional chairman, Mr Radwell Mwampashe, said there are mounting concerns about hiking the prices of subsidised fertiliser to Sh85,000 per bag instead of Sh70,000 recommended by the government.

“We are ready to provide information that will help in arresting people who are behind the dirty game.

“The region faces another challenge, whereby fake agriculture inputs are sold to farmers, with the culprits walking free in the streets,” he said.

Mr Mwampashe said such agricultural inputs are plentiful in privately owned shops, noting that they don’t help farmers as intended.

“We need to crack down on one shop after another. Owners of the shops that will be found in possession of the inputs should be arrested and dragged to court,” he said.

A maize farmer, Mr Samuel Mwaikenda, said unscrupulous traders have been smuggling subsidised fertiliser to neighbouring countries.

“They sell the fertiliser at Sh145,000 per bag. They are doing this regardless of the government’s intention of providing farmers with subsidised inputs, therefore, sabotaging the target to increase agricultural productivity in the country,” he said.

Songwe Region utilised 47,000 tonnes of fertiliser in the 2021/2022 farming season.

However, 28,000 tonnes, which is above 50 percent of the fertilizer utilized last season, have been purchased by farmers to date.