TANZANIA – The Tanzanian National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) in Songea, Ruvuma Region, has successfully procured over 72,000 tonnes of maize from farmers during the 2024/2025 agricultural season.
This substantial acquisition was facilitated through 21 designated collection points across seven districts in the region, excluding Tunduru District, where the majority of residents are primarily engaged in cashew farming.
Zenobius Kahere, the manager of NFRA in Songea, emphasized Ruvuma’s pivotal role as a national food reserve due to its significant production of maize and other essential crops. He noted that NFRA often supplies maize to other regions within Tanzania facing food shortages.
“We opened collection points in seven of our eight districts, and we were able to collect over 72,000 tonnes of maize. By November, these points were closed, and the current work involves transporting the maize from the collection points to various warehouses for storage,” Kahere stated.
Farmers expressed satisfaction with the government-set price of 700 Tanzanian shillings (TZS) (US$0.29) per kilogram, especially when compared to the lower offers from private buyers, who were purchasing maize at prices ranging from 300 to 450 TZS per kilogram (US$0.12 to US$0.19). This government intervention has been instrumental in ensuring fair compensation for farmers’ efforts.
However, Kahere highlighted challenges concerning the quality of maize brought to the market, which often did not meet NFRA’s stringent standards. This issue necessitated farmers spending considerable time at collection points to clean and sort their produce to meet the required quality before acceptance and weighing.
To address these challenges, NFRA, in collaboration with various stakeholders, plans to educate farmers in the upcoming 2025/2026 farming season on essential practices, including the use of quality seeds and adherence to best practices from planting through to harvesting.
This initiative aims to help farmers produce maize that meets the required standards, thereby reducing losses, cleaning costs, and time spent at collection points.
Kahere encouraged farmers to seek guidance from agricultural extension officers and other experts to ensure a successful and marketable harvest.
“Farmers should not hesitate to seek guidance from extension officers in their areas on modern farming techniques, rather than continuing to rely on traditional methods,” he emphasized.
During a recent seven-day visit to Ruvuma, President Samia Suluhu Hassan commended farmers for their hard work in producing abundant crops, which significantly contribute to Tanzania’s food security.
She urged farmers to avoid selling their maize to middlemen at lower prices and instead sell at the government-set price of 700 TZS per kilogram.
In a related development, Tanzania’s maize production outlook remains positive. The country anticipates harvesting over 10 million tonnes of maize during the 2024 season, positioning itself as a key player in regional food security.
This production surge has also led to increased export agreements, including a significant deal to export 500,000 tonnes of maize to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed in May 2024.
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