Farmers in Mvomero district have advised the government to improve the system for supplying agricultural inputs for year 2015/16.
Mr. Stanford Chabonga Kilosa chairman for Public Expenditure and Tracking System (PETS)
The farmers who are members of the Network of Farmers Groups in Tanzania (MVIWATA), raised the statement during the debate prepared by MVIWATA in collaboration with ESAFF under the project for strengthening smallholder farmers’ skills and capacity in the public expenditures tracking system (PETS).
Through the dialogue dubbed; “The opportunity for local farmers in the agricultural sector planning”, involving agriculture experts from Kilosa district together with MVIWATA members from Dumila, Berega, Ludewa, Mvumi and Kibega.
MVIWATA farmers from five villages pose for group picture with District Administrative Secretary during the dialogue.
Raising their concerns to Kilosa District Administrative Secretary (DAS) Erick Sagara, they said that they have experienced delay in the supply of farming inputs accompanied by fraud hence limiting their right to access their needs timely.
Abruno Saidi MVIWATA member said that, there are no proper procedures that govern the supply of farming inputs as a result farmers do not only lack timely access to information but also fail to benefit from the latter.
Moses Chisengo farmer from Berega ward said that, far from the delay of inputs to reach to farmers’ timely, supply of the inputs is obviously miserable evidenced by farmers being forced to accept various farming inputs contrary to their needs. With reference to the aforementioned reasons, we ask the government to change the system of employing the seed agents to minimize fraud.
Responding to the farmers concerns, Kilosa Agricultural officer Mihenga Mihenga admitted that there is delay in supplying farm inputs and the government has already changed the agricultural inputs supply system. He argued farmers to be cautious in selecting representative members for managing the farm input system.
“There will be representatives of farmers in all committee from village level, ward, district, region, to national level and six representatives from the village level must be elected by village government and authorized by central village meeting in which you will be part of decision making as you do recognize the candidates”.
Far from that, Mihenga explained that not all farmers from Kilosa district will receive farming inputs for the production season 2015/16 but will be for those who engage in paddy and maize production.
Likewise, a farmer who qualifies to receive the input is the one that can afford to pay half of the cost for the input supply and the remaining amount will be paid by the government.
Apart from addressing the issue of farming input, the chairperson for public expenditure tracking systems (PETS) committee in Kilosa Mr. Stanford Chabonga through his committee reported to have discovered embezzlement of funds channeled for water irrigation scheme in Ludewa.
Mr. Chabonga who is also a member of MVIWATA said, due to failure to complete the irrigation project, citizens have decided to contribute funds each worth TShs. 10,000/= in order to make sure that the construction of the scheme is completed to allow farming activities to proceed.
“ As PETS committee in district level we have made a follow up funds disbursed and discover that, the first phase of the project there were TShs. 5m/- disbursed to construct the water intake and a total of TShs. 350m/- was added for the construction of water irrigation scheme, though nothing has been done to date,” explained Chabonga
