PREMIER ORDERS DISSOLUTION OF CASH CROP DEVELOPMENT FUNDS

PRIME Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, has ordered the disbandment of crop development funds whose responsibilities can be executed by the respective crop boards.

Premier Majaliwa asked Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Minister, Mr Charles Tizeba, to review the performance of coffee, sisal and tea development funds and take appropriate actions.

“Minister Tizeba had started with cashew nut, he should now go to other crops ... the money that was spent in paying hefty allowances to the fund officers should go to the crop promotion and farmers’ empowerment for increased production.

If possible let farmers be given pesticide spray machines,” Mr Majaliwa charged. The directive follows Dr Tizeba’s recent move to suspend the Cashewnut Industry Trust Development Fund (CIDTF) over allegations of mismanagement and sabotage of the cash crop’s development, describing the suspension as an outcome of extensive consultations amid grow- i n g concerns on the fund’s performance.

“The fund’s inefficiency has subjected the government and the entire cashewnut sector to substantial losses ... it has also been defying government’s directives and regulations on various issues.

Effectively, the Cashewnut Board of Tanzania (CBT) assumes all the functions of the fund,” said Dr Tizeba, accusing CIDTF of failure to execute government directives on fixed deposits as per President John Magufuli’s directive to all public entities to transfer their accounts to the Bank of Tanzania (BoT).

Overhauling the other agribusiness centred boards in cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal and tea will increase efficiency. The premier promised to summon the Cashewnut Board of Tanzania Director General, Hassan Jarufo, to explain why cashewnut farmers have not been paid as the government had directed.

“I directed that cashewnut buyers should have bonds that would then be banked before listing them in the auction ... that could have meant that once the auction is over, the banks deduct the amount and remit it to the Tanzania Farmers Association,” he explained, charging that the directive was not properly managed.

Speaking at Nachingwea District in Lindi Region on his way to Ruangwa for a brief end of the year holiday, the premier decried middlemen in the cashewnut buying. He directed Lindi Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Godfrey Zambi and all district commissioners (DCs) to encourage farmers to plant new cashewnut trees, saying the current ones are old and less productive.

“Our colleagues in Tandahimba planted modern cashewnut seedlings four years ago and they are now harvesting improved produce.

“You should ensure farmers plant new cashewnut seedlings during the rain season so that they can grow as they wait to uproot the old plants,” he said.

Meanwhile, Premier Majaliwa has promised to follow up and find out why the government institutions’ owned warehouses charge farmers for storing their produce in the facilities.

He said he will look into the laws that established the institutions, if they are allowed to charge fees, expressing his doubt and questioning the legality of charging fee for the use of public storage facilities.

Mr Majaliwa said should there be a legislation providing for fee charges on the use of public facilities, Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) would have been the proper collection agency.