Mbarali rice farmers anticipate bumper harvest this year
Rice farmers in Mbarali District, Mbeya region have high hopes to get bumper harvests due to adequate rains this year.
Speaking with this paper at different times the farmers said this year they have been getting enough water from various rivers including rain water.
Samson Luvanda, a farmer and resident of Igawa Ward said this year there had been enough rains, rivers were overflowing with water for use in the farms.
He said also this year there haven’t been any conflicts over water with officials managing the Ruaha River Valley Authority.
He said as of now they are appealing to the government to boost electric power supply on claims that sometimes rice milling plants stop working due to frequent power outage.
Another farmer, Sosten Joseph working on Mnazi scheme farming community said in the last two years they had barred from their farms by the government on claims that their farming scheme lacked legality.
He said the scheme has 15 rice mills in Rujewa town and supply raw materials to the factories and that this year they expect to increase the crop harvests.
He said currently they were at peace and are abiding by all directives issued by the government on the proper use of the water from River Ruaha to avoid conflicts.
