Challenges facing small holder farmers in Mvomero and Kilosa districts in Morogoro region.

Few years ago, the government introduced Kilimo Kwanza to improve agricultural production which engages 80 percent of the 45 million populations. Many plans were made including availability and timely distribution of inputs such as fertilizer. In this article, our reporter Mwiga Mtavya looks at several input-related challenges facing small holder farmers in Mvomero and Kilosa districts in Morogoro region. Read on….

In a bid to bring about green revolution and increase production, the government introduced Kilimo kwanza initiative. Many plans were laid down by the government on the drive including adequately and timely distribution of agricultural inputs on grounds that when these are met, the skyrocketing inflation rate and food insecurity would be a history in the country.

The distribution of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers were must for the drive, however, the exercise was, and continue to be marred by several hitches including high prices, untimely and inadequate distribution of fertilizers, poor and counterfeit inputs as well as inability by the agriculture input’s agents to adequately supply them and reach the farmers on time.

A recent investigation conducted in Mvomero district, Morogoro region, revealed that the inputs for maize and rice were sold at very high prices, prompting farmers’ especially small holder farmers to cultivate and grow their crops without some inputs.

In separate interviews, the farmers said that lack of inputs have affected their production mainly in maize and rice crops.

Nuru Saidi, one of the Dakawa rice irrigation scheme small producers, said that the farm cannot yield desired fruits because of lack of inputs.

“There are no inputs, and even if they come, they are very expensive for poor farmers like me to afford. That’s why you find that in most cases the farmers opt to grow without using the fertilizers” she said.

She said 50 kg of subsidized fertilizer was sold at Tsh.65,000 shillings adding that despite the skyrocketing prices, the fertilizer usually reach them very late.

At Kilosa district, the farmers have same feelings and experiences. Most of them complained that the government’s subsidized fertilizers could not help them because they were poor to afford the high prices.

They said normally the agricultural input’s agents tend to lure some poor farmers by asking them to fill in the forms but they never give them the fertilizers.

“Because the voucher system is not well coordinated and supervised, the government is loosing a lot of money because despite being inefficient, it ends up benefiting the agents instead of small holder farmers” said Tatu Msuya, a small holder farmer in Kilosa district.

For his part, the Executive Officer for Dakawa village, Ali Yusuph Kibeku said that his village has a total of 3400 villagers but in the past agricultural season that started from January 2012, farmers who were able to get the vouchers were only 1900.

However, he said, even those who received the fertilizers, they could not use them on time because they arrived late, prompting most of them to plant without fertilizers.

“With this system, the farmers will never get more yields. I advise the government to increase its budget in agriculture especially on input supplies so that it can contribute significantly to the economy of the nation” he said.

Reached for comments, the acting Agriculture, Irrigation and Cooperation in Kilosa district, Kathbeth Milaho, said the farmers are not effectively and efficiently producing because of low knowledge on the use of the inputs.

He said that usually many of them opt to farm without fertilizers on grounds that their farm lands still have fertility.

However, he admitted on the delayed fertilizer, better seeds, and chemicals saying they were minor hitches that the government was working on.

“There is a problem of low purchasing income among small famers which limits them from purchasing the inputs. I can also tell you that some agricultural input’s agents have no adequate capital and expertise as such, they are incapable of running the exercise” he said.

He said low expertise and inability of the agents to supply the inputs on time have also contributed to difficulties in the fight against counterfeit inputs and farm weeds.

For her part, the Mvomero District Executive Director Sara Linuma said that inability of the agents to adequately supply the inputs on time was a major challenge as it derailed agriculture which employs a good number of people in the district.

“These agents have failed even to open shops for the distribution of the inputs near farmers locations. If they did so, it would have helped most farmers to get the inputs on time”.

INPUTS MAIZE AND PADDY

The above photo shows demonstration rice farm used for training the Dakawa rice irrigation scheme small producers. The poster shows YARA Fertilizers Company