No more crop price control, Magufuli orders

PRESIDENT John Magufuli has directed government leaders to stop imposing prices control on cash and food crops to let farmers gain from rising crop prices. Speaking here yesterday, Dr Magufuli said imposing prices on crops had for many years cost farmers economically, lowering earnings and limiting the benefits of hard earned labour.

He said it was good for farmers if food prices remained higher. “Some people have started complaining about recent food prices but that is good to the farmers since higher prices motivated to them,” he said shortly before he laid the foundation stone for the 51km Mwigumbi - Maswa road which will be constructed to tarmac level.

He repeated the directive for regional and district authorities to scrap nuisance crop levies which are burden to farmers. President Magufuli, however, challenged the farmers to increase productivity and benefit from rising market demand.

On the initiative by Simiyu Region to introduce small industries, President Magufuli commended the spirit that led to the group of the youth establishing chalk factory that was likely to gain more expansion if supported with loans from the Tanzania Investment Bank (TIB) and other resources.

The president said he was optimistic that when the factory is expanded and becomes full operational, there would be no need for the country to import chalks and hinted chalk imports may be subjected to heavy duties to promote local production.

He promised to work on water woes facing Maswa District and the entire Simiyu Region adding the water filtration plant at Maswa will be increased with capacity to treat more water, thanks to some 3bn/- recently released for the work.

Earlier, the Simiyu Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Anthony Mtaka, briefed the president on the economic struggles and strategies mainly on the implementation industrial transformation which is now one of the crucial national agenda. He said Simiyu has focused on an ambitious development agenda where it has introduced a campaign for each district to focus on a single product sustainably.

According to the arrangement, all five districts of the region will carefully select an area of economy with Maswa already earmarking to invest seriously in chalk production, Busega in irrigation farming and Meatu in dairy farming and meat and milk processing factories.

The rest of Bariadi and Itilima were still working on their strategic areas to be communicated soon. “So I challenge all the residents particularly the youth to form entrepreneurship groups ready for investment in small scale industries borrowing a leaf from your colleagues in Maswa with chalk factory ventures,” he said.

SOURCE: DAILY NEWS

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