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”.
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