FOUNDATION STONE PUT AT MVIWATA HEADQUARTERS’ BUILDING IN MOROGORO MUNICIPAL

A Deputy Minister for Agriculture Hon, Omari Mgumba put a foundation stone on the on-going construction of MVIWATA Headquarter Offices located at Bigwa market street, Morogoro Municipal on 22nd November 2019. MVIWATA Headquarter building upon its completion will consist of eleven (11) offices, library, conference rooms with the capacity to hold up to two hundred (200) participants at once.

The event of laying down the foundation stone was witnessed by smallholder farmers, members of MVIWATA from all the regions in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, MVIWATA Staffs and guests from government authorities.

MVIWATA Executive Director Mr, Stephen Ruvuga, said during the event that the building will cost the organization an amount of three hundred fifty thousand million Tanzanian shillings (350,000,000/=) of which its main source is incomes from internal sources and donation from development partners including the government of Switzerland and previously the government of Ireland.

Hon, Omari Mgumba congratulated MVIWATA for having visionary leadership and been very effective on resource management to the extent of fulfilling the dream of accomplishing having its own Headquarter Offices and Radio station named “MVIWATA Fm” of which it will be on air shortly, running from 106.7 frequency.

He added that these resources will help smallholder farmers to organize well and coordinate their initiatives while managing the easy flow of information from and to the smallholder farmers through MVIWATA FM Radio station.

The Deputy Minister emphasized to smallholder farmers and members of MVIWATA to continue nurturing their unity through their groups and as an organization at large in order to fulfill their desired goals. Hon, Mgumba added that the Government of Tanzania is well informed with the efforts made by MVIWATA in achieving its goal of ensuring smallholder farmers’ interests (social, economic and political) are well represented at different levels of decision making.

Members of MVIWATA had an opportunity to represent their issues before the Deputy Minister of which among them were some of the cashew nut farmers not being paid on time after their cashew nut had been sold, charges to crops below one ton has continued been effected despite the government’s notice of stopping it, continued exploitation of smallholder farmers due to lack of proper use of weight and measurement units during selling of crops in Iringa and Njombe regions,  poor storage facilities and low price of cotton in Shinyanga and Mwanza regions and lastly the absence of reliable and smallholder farmer’s  friendly crop insurances.

The Deputy Minister explained in detail on the challenges said by smallholder farmers while emphasizing on immediate provision of information to the government authorities upon witnessing any challenge so that the government can act upon it immediately.

In conclusion, MVIWATA Chairperson Mr, Abdul Gea gave a word of thanks to the Deputy Minister Hon, Omari Mgumba for always been available when needed by MVIWATA regardless of his occupied working schedule. Mr, Abdul Gea also thanked his fellow MVIWATA members for their kind, patience and participation in an event of laying the MVIWATA Headquarters foundation stone.

Mviwata on Facebook

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter