Posted on September, 17, 2018 at 11:15 am
NATIONAL Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) – Mpanda centre in Katavi region has refused to purchase 2,500 tonnes of maize from several Agriculture Marketing Cooperative Societies (AMCOS) during this purchasing season due to poor quality.
Commenting on that, the NFRA – Sumbawanga Zone’s Manager, Abdallah Nyangasa said the zone that provides the services in Rukwa and Katavi regions respectively has allocated to purchase 8,000 tonnes of maize during this maize purchasing season that took off officially on September 01, this year.
According to Mr Nyangasa, NFRA- Sumbawanga Zone has allocated to purchase 5,500 tonnes of maize from Rukwa and 2,500 tonnes from Katavi region, saying that the former has entered contracts with 58 Amcos and farmer groups while the latter has only eleven.
“Since the maize purchasing season started on September 01 this year until today, NFRA – Sumbawanga Zone has bought 2,000 tonnes of maize in Rukwa region out of allocated the 5, 500 tonnes, but in Katavi, none has been purchased due to poor quality” added Mr Nyangasa.
He listed several reasons that have led to NFRA refusing to purchase maize from Katavi region, including mixing the maize with impurities and high level of humidity and that maize seeds are rotten and have different colours.
“Also, the cost of purchasing maize during this season per kilo has dropped to 380/- compared to 500/- of the previous maize purchasing season,” he emphasized, adding that NFRA has opened two maize purchasing centres at Kibaoni and Majimoto villages respectively in Mpimbwe Council in Katavi region.
The Chairman of Katavi Agrikach Farmers Group, Mr Hamis Misigaro told the ‘Sunday News’ that 3,000 bags of maize weighing 100 kilos each have been rejected by NFRA – Mpanda maize purchasing centre due to poor quality.
Similar sentiment have been echoed by Jumanne Ramadhani, Machimbe Jackson and Edward Maiga, who allege that they had between 80 and 200tonnes of maize which had been rejected by NFRA for the same reason.
Source: Daily News