Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Rukwa Regional authority warns over low quality seeds

mariam said
THE Rukwa Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Zelothe Steven has issued stern warning that he will not hesitate to take into task any seed company which will supply poor quality maize seeds to farmers during this farming season.

Similarly he urged all farmers to join Agriculture and Marketing Cooperative Society (Amcos) and Saccos to access loans for purchasing agriculture in puts ranging from fertilizers to improved maize seeds. According to RC , during this farming the region has been allocated 2,444 tones of fertilizer for planting, 2,444 tones for growing and 489 tones of improved maize seeds.
He further said such allocation of agriculture in puts are only sufficient to 48,880 households equivalent to 19.7 per cent of 250,956 households in the region. According to recent statistics show that the actual demand for fertilizer for planting maize is 40,672 tones, for growing amounting to 39,967 tones and for improved cereal seeds including maize is 8,011.7 tonnes.
Mr Zelothe said here in municipality insisting that Tanzania Fertilizer Company (TFC) is responsible for distributing fertilizers in the region while improved seeds will be distributed by Government Seeds Agents (ASA).
He said the prompted to issue such directives following the weaknesses recorded last season in which TFC failed to timely deliver agriculture in puts to farmers in rural areas prompted the dishonest traders took that advantage by supplying fake maize seeds to farmers in the region.
“I direct the TFC to ensure that the fertilizers are timely distributed to farmers ….. poster showing the name of maize seeds company must be set on each shamba of maize in bid to uncover offenders “ he added.

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