President Jakaya Kikwete.
PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete has assured Ludewa farmers that the government will pay immediately the money they are owed after selling their maize to the National Food Reserve Agency (NRFA).
When addressing a public rally at Ludewa, he said that farmers countrywide demand from the government 17bn/- following sales of maize to the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA).
Mr Kikwete, who is on an official seven-day tour of Njombe Region, said that it would be a shame for the government to owe farmers. He promised to clear the debt immediately.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Directorate of Presidential Communications, President Kikwete also assured that the government would also honour its pledge of installing shipping vessels in all great lakes in the country before 2015 as promised in his election manifesto.
He said that the shipping vessels are currently under construction and that they will be launched before 2015. He added that the number may increase to two instead of the one promised for Lake Nyasa, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria.
“We have ordered three shipping vessels from Southern Korea. They are under construction. We also have placed orders for three more ships from Denmark which are also under construction.
“Their arrival will raise the number of vessels to two in each lake. This will ease transport problems,” he said.
The farmers in Ludewa District demand from the government a total of 3.1bn/-. They sold 6,231 tonnes of maize to the NFRA.
He was told that the farmers have received only 2.8bn/- for the 5,679 tonnes supply to NRFA, whereas the government has planned to buy 13,000 tonnes of maize in Ludewa, but so far the NRFA has managed to purchase only 11,911 with the bigger amount being sold on credit.
“This is unacceptable and a shame to the government. The money must be paid to the farmers and I will make sure the farmers get the money the government owes them,” he said.
He added that the government is also contemplating the possibility of purchasing the remaining 2,972 tonnes of maize which the farmers have in stock in Ludewa District.
“I have been informed that NRFA is still in need of 40,000 tonnes so it meets the 250,000 tonnes it has planned to purchase. I will discuss with them to see if they can buy the remaining stock,” he said.
by DAILY NEWS
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