Minister assures farmers of abundant availability of inputs
Due to shortage of agricultural inputs in the country, the governmnt has taken various steps to ensure the inputs are available in abudance to meet the needs.
The steps include the issuing of permits to large fertilizer dealers to import the commodity from outside the country under the Bulk Purchase System (BPS) whereas 200,000 tons has been ordered up to January 30 2020; to issue a permit for importing 45,000 tons to the country’s association of fertilizer dealers and to order fertilizer via BPS, which has already started to be distributed since January 28 2020.
Deputy Minister for Agriculture Omary Mgumba revealed this yesterday in National Assembly here when responding to a question from Kavuu Member of Parliament Pudeciana Wilfred Kikwembe who wanted to know of government’s plans over delay of agricultural inputs, in particular fertilizer and seeds, the delay that results in losses to farmers.
Mgumba said the government in partnership with other stakeholders continues to improve the productive, control and distribution systems of inputs in the country whereas the public and private sectors will be incorporated and mobilized to manufacture agricultural inputs in the country to satisfy its needs.
On the shortage of fertilizer in the country Mgumba said it has been contributed by various reasons including the delay of the commodity’s procurement from manufacturers, increase in demand due to affordable prices in 2018/19 season, increase in cash crop farming; government’s assurance to remove price caps for various crops and plenty of rainfall in many parts of the country.
In 2019/20 season the procurement of inputs including quality seeds up to December 2019 was 71,155.13 tons, out of which 58,509.9 tons was manufactured in the country and 5,175.79 tons imported, while 7,469.44 tons is remainder from 2018/2019 season.
The availability of fertilizer up to 30 January 2020 was 410,499 tons that included 92,328 UREA and 84,311 tons DAP. Out of this 225,417 tons was imported and 16,685 tons locally manufactured while 168,397 tons is the remainder from 2018/2019 season.
