Tanzanian government addresses Nafco farm dispute, but tensions persist

Namtumbo. The Tanzanian government’s recent attempt to resolve a long-standing land dispute involving a former National Agricultural Farms Corporation (Nafco) property in Namtumbo District, Ruvuma Region, has unveiled tensions and concerns among villagers and officials.

The 6,580-hectare farm, which had been idle for years, became a focal point for local residents who started using the land for farming and building permanent structures.

To address this encroachment, the ministry of Agriculture parcelled the land, allocating 3,850 hectares to the Agricultural Seed Agency (ASA) for seed multiplication and the remaining 3,000 hectares to villagers.

However, trouble arose in March 2024 when individuals claiming to be ASA officials took measures to prevent local residents from accessing their part of the farm.

This led to several arrests, fines, and an imposed ban on returning to the area.

Although residents were briefly allowed to harvest their crops, the ban was quickly reinstated, leaving many frustrated and uncertain about their future access to the land.

In an effort to address these concerns, the minister for Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, visited the district on September 21, 2024, to inspect ongoing development projects and engage directly with the affected community.

During a well-attended meeting, Mr Bashe clarified the government’s intentions.

“The Nafco Farm was handed over to the ministry of Agriculture, and farmers were allowed to continue farming on the land, but they were directed to avoid building permanent structures to pave the way for planned future programmes to be implemented in the area,” he noted.

Beyond the Nafco farm, Mr Bashe said that, apart from the Nafco farm, the ministry also owns the Suruti and Tumbaku farms.

“One hundred hectares out of the 300 hectares of the Suruti Farm were given to citizens. Instruction was given for the formalisation of citizens’ land ownership,” he added.

He went on to instruct the Namtumbo District Commissioner, Ms Ngollo Malenya, and the Director of Crops Development in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Nyasebwa Chimagu, to form a team to supervise the demarcation and installation of beacons for both parties to conduct their activities amicably.

Despite these measures, local leaders expressed scepticism about the resolution process. Namtumbo Constituency MP Mr Vita Kawawa did not mince words.

“At the climax of the dispute, farmers were whipped, arrested, and fined. It is you (Mr Bashe) who issued the directives for villagers to carry out their farming activities on the farm, but there are officials acting contrary to your directives.”

This statement highlighted discrepancies between government directives and actions on the ground, suggesting that the situation was far from resolved.

Namtumbo District Chairman, Mr Zubeir Lihuwi, also voiced his concerns, urging that the dispute be genuinely resolved, as “previous decisions downplayed the significance of the problem.”

He emphasised the importance of agricultural extension officers working closely with farmers to improve crop quality and prevent unnecessary issues at selling points.

Minister Bashe, in his effort to reassure residents, disclosed that a firm had been contracted to implement a fencing project for the ASA farm.

“A firm has been contracted to implement the fencing project of the ASA Farm after the demarcation exercise has been completed, and citizens are cautioned to avoid encroaching on the land designated for seed multiplication,” he announced.

He also highlighted plans to establish a seed processing factory to utilise raw materials produced by ASA and indicated that local farmers would benefit from the government’s investments.

“ASA's irrigation infrastructures will be extended to farms belonging to local farmers to support the improvement of agricultural productivity after government investment has been completed,” he disclosed.

While some residents, such as Mr Kadege Mtumbehe, welcomed the government's actions, noting that the decision would “reduce the shortage of farming land the citizens were facing and ultimately increase crop production,” others remained sceptical.

Mr Salum Mtumbeyi pointed out that confusion still lingered among residents after the ban, stressing that the district was facing a significant increase in land demand for agricultural production.