Investor complains of substandard feeds, inflated prices

DAILY NEWS Reporter in iringa

LOCAL producers of animal feeds have complained of a growing tendency by dishonest price hikers, saying they were selling sub-standard products at inflated prices.

Managing Director of Silverlands Tanzania, Mr Jack Bennie, told a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Water here, that the price speculators were hampering sales and growth of local producers.

“The tendency contributes to unfair business competition in the industry because of the flooding of sub-standard products in the market,” Mr Bennie said, calling for immediate intervention by concerned authorities.

Mr Bennie, proud of his company which engages in poultry farming and production of feeds of high quality, said the authorities should intervene in the matter before the situation gets out of hand.

“These price hikers are really frustrating our efforts for having a fair ground for investors and local industries that produce high quality goods, which fail to compete in an unfair market created by the dishonest people,” he said.

He said his company has invested heavily in the sector by injecting US dollars 50 million (over 100bn/-) at the Ihemi Cluster in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT).

“Delays in providing quick corrective measures will have negative effects on operations,” he explained, expressing his appreciations and gratitude to the committee for touring the factory and listening to investors.

Mr Bennie said Tanzania was among few countries in Africa whose economy is projected to grow at a fast pace. Silverlands Tanzania is playing its part in this growth both in creating jobs, generating revenues for the government in terms of taxes and changing people’s living standards.

Responding to the Silverlands Tanzania assertion, a Parliamentary Committee member, who is also the Legislator of Uzini Constituency in Zanzibar, Mr Salim Rehani, hoped that the presence of Silverlands in the region will positively impact on the residents socially and economically.

“We are satisfied with your factory operations and request you to promote and market your products to be known to many Tanzanians. And in the near future we hope you will expand to other regions of the country,” he said.

The legislator assured the investor of full support, saying the Fifth Phase Government under President John Magufuli was all out to turn Tanzania into a midsized and industrial economy by 2025.

The Parliamentary Committee toured the Ihemi Cluster comprising the regions of Iringa and Njombe to inspect activities carried out by SAGCOT in uplifting growers of tea, Irish potatoes, soya, tomatoes and dairy products.