Government boosts paddy prices, warns against political settlements

Dar es Salaam. The government yesterday committed to purchasing paddy from farmers in Morogoro, improving the produce price by 80 percent to Sh900 per kilo.

In regular markets, the crop is sold for Sh500 per kilo, which the farmers claim cannot even cover the production costs and support them to increase production and income.

Responding to farmers’ outcry in the Ifakara area, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is visiting the region, directed the Minister for Agriculture Hussein Bashe to ask the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) to buy the produce in the region to motivate the farmers.

“I have been a farmer of this crop and know its challenges. So you will be selling at the government price of Sh900 per kilo. I also warn the leaders who were using that loophole to oppress the farmers. I don’t want to name them, but I have your information,” she said.

“We have appointed leaders at various levels to help people, but some of them get involved in this dirty business and exploit the power of the farmers. That’s not justice,” she added. Some representatives of the farmers said such a move has the potential to power the farmers in the region.

Cooperative Society of Smallholder Farmers in Irrigated Rice Farming (Uwawakuda) manager, Mr Wilbard Olomi, said the price increase will benefit the farmers.

According to him, the government decision assures a market for the produce. Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (Tari) Dakawa centre manager, Dr Jerome Mghase, said the price increase is an opportunity for the farmers. “That is a reasonable price,” he said.

Politics warning

President Hassan is visiting the Morogoro region for six days to inspect government projects and hear from people.

She warned against the establishment of new villages for political purposes, saying that such development risks the invasion of protected areas. She asked the ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism not to wait until the residents invade the protected areas.

The behaviour of establishing new villages, she said, usually happens in times when elections are approaching, with candidates aiming to benefit politically. “As we come close to elections, some politicians, especially the ward councillors who are in a bad position, tend to convince people to establish a new village,” she said. She asked the politicians to stop such practices to ensure conservation of land for future use as the population is increasing.

Some Members of Parliament expressed their concerns about delayed compensations for people who were affected by road expansion. However, President Hassan told the residents to be patient until the projects are done as the government works on the matter.

Agriculture minister Hussein Bashe said that the government is making strategies to improve irrigation, especially by continuing to improve the Kilombero Valley.