‘Skip traders buying maize at farm gates, sell to NFRA
TRADERS, local or foreign, will no longer buy maize directly from farmers while the crop is still in the fields, Songea district authorities have announced.
Wilman Ndile, the DC, issued the directives over the weekend at the launch of quality maize seed dubbed: ‘Zamseed TZ 638’ produced at Ndolela area in Madaba District, Ruvuma Region.
A survey carried out in some parts of the region showed that some traders go to farms and buy maize still on the farm, noting that some farmers are enticed with the farm-gate prices offered by traders and sell their produce.
“This is unacceptable; we’ll not tolerate this,” he stated, cautioning farmers to stop selling the maize to middlemen passing their areas looking for the crop. In the last farming season, farmers in the region and the district harvested little, while some lost their crops to drought, he said.
High price of fertiliser in the market priced out some farmers, and later buyers were visiting farmers and pay for the crop in whatever way they want.
This year the government injected money on fertiliser subsidy while there are adequate rains, he said, insisting that it is the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) which has priority in purchasing the maize.
The buyers come from Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Arusha and even from across the border in Kenya, bringing farmers to sell their entire maize crop “without leaving some for food.”
District officials and village leaders need to control middlemen, so that they follow laid down procedures, he stated, underlining that during the next harvesting season the government is mobilised to buy maize from farmers at good prices through NFRA, at its Songea Zone.
Frank Kileo, Zamseed (T) director, urged farmers in Ruvuma and Njombe regions to use the quality seeds produced in the region as the seeds withstand drought and heavy rains.
Kasiani Goliama, a Kigonsera villager in Mbinga District, speaking for upwards of 200 fellow farmers who attended the launch, said the farmers had received training though demonstration farms before using the seeds in the current season. They know they hope to get massive harvests per acre, he affirmed.
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