PROCEDURE is in place to form a new Tanzania Tobacco Board (TTB) in the near future following the government’s move to dissolve the board of directors in order to improve its efficiency.
Deputy Minister for Agriculture,
Livestock and Fisheries, William Ole-Nasha, told the National Assembly
yesterday that the decision of dissolving the board has nothing to do
with postponement of other business being implemented in the tobacco
sector.
Answering a question by Margaret Sitta
(Urambo - CCM), the deputy minister pointed out that experts available
were going on implementing programmes in place of promoting tobacco crop
in the country.
In her question, the MP explained that
apart from different measures taken by the government in solving
problems facing tobacco farmers in Tabora Region including those from
Urambo, she would wish to know plans of forming the new TTB so that it
starts working immediately.
She also wanted to know what plans the
government has to ensure farm input of the next season reach tobacco
farmers on time, considering the relevant board has been dissolved.
The deputy minister pointed out that
considering the importance of the presence of the board for the
development of tobacco industry in the country; procedures are being
made to form a new board of directors as soon as possible.
He said that members of the public would
be notified through the notice of the government soon after the
procedure was completed.
The deputy minister further said that
important farm inputs for tobacco include different types of fertilizers
like NPK, CAN, freezing fibres for tobacco during harvesting and
marketing and pieces of sack and agrochemicals.
These inputs, according to him, are
obtained through cooperatives in each area through a tender process
managed and coordinated by the cooperatives involved.
He said that considering that farmers
need services all the time, especially this period towards the marketing
of tobacco for 2017/2018 season, the government through the registrar
of cooperatives in the country has appointed another team, which is in
Tabora Region.
According to him, such team will
continue to coordinate and manage various issues of mutual interest for
farmers and prepare farm inputs for the next season
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