THE Vice – President Dr Philip Mpango has issued an assurance that the government will address challenges facing farmers in the country, including timely supply of subsidised farming inputs to them ahead of the new farming season.
Dr Mpango made the statement on Monday, while addressing residents in Mbinga District, Ruvuma Region, during his working visit in the region.
He directed the Ministry of Agriculture to fully implement on time, the supply of enough farming inputs including subsidised fertiliser to the regions that are leading in food crops’ production in the country.
Equally, he urged farmers to stop selling all crops in their homesteads without keeping reserves, noting that food security starts at the household level.
Likewise, he called upon Tanzanians to shun divisive politics and concentrate on development, adding that the use of indecent language without pointing at solutions to challenges will lead to breach of peace in the country.
At the same time, he advised political leaders to put aside their differences and work towards national economic development, saying the country needs the engagement of all people in development agenda, regardless of their political affiliations.
Dr Mpango insisted that development is not discriminative, saying political leaders should focus on working for the nation’s prosperity.
In particular, he praised Ruvuma residents for supporting and protecting development projects as well as leadership of the region, because that was ushering in good management of the schemes. He urged them to continue protecting various infrastructures in the health, education and water sectors.
For his part, the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Mr Anthony Mavunde said that in strengthening coffee farming in Mbinga District, the government expects to review the debts of the Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (AMCOS) and cooperative unions to enable farmers to buy farming inputs on time.
Mavunde added that farmers will get subsidised fertiliser in their areas and asked them to keep issued secret numbers to avoid the challenges that arose last season.
Earlier in April this year, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said in National Assembly that the government will continue to ensure effective supply and availability of fertiliser to farmers for the sake of meeting the actual demand in all regions.
He said by February this year, fertiliser availability in the country was at 407,333 tonnes, which is 58.33 per cent of the actual need of 698,260 tonnes.
He said the availability was attributed to 28,672 tonnes that was locally manufactured and 251,697 tonnes that were imported together with 126,963 tonnes that remained in the agricultural season of 2022/2023.
“The government will continue to ensure effective supply and availability of fertiliser to farmers for the sake of meeting the actual demand in all regions,” he explained.
In a related development, the Vice-President called on parishioners and religious leaders to continue praying for the nation and its leaders to be able to protect the country.
He made statement while participating in morning service at St Mathias Mulumba Catholic Church Diocese of Songea led by Father Otieno Maurice.
He also insisted on the issue of environmental and peace protection in the region.
Dr Mpango concluded his five-day working visit that was aimed at inspecting development projects, listening to the various challenges facing the people as well as launching development projects in Ruvuma Region.