Africa-Press – Tanzania. CCM Presidential candidate, Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, yesterday reaffirmed her commitment to linking farmers to reliable and fair markets.
Addressing campaign rallies in Makambako (Njombe), Mafinga and Kalenga, President Samia said that if elected, her government will continue supporting farmers in boosting crop production.
She assured farmers in Iringa that the government will soon open grain-purchasing centres through the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), guaranteeing fair prices, better earnings and enabling farmers to prepare for the next season.
The President noted that NFRA has already begun purchasing maize in Ruvuma and Rukwa, with similar centres set to open in Mbeya, Njombe and Iringa.
“We have been providing subsidised fertilisers to farmers, which has significantly improved food production. Farmers have produced enough and we will buy these crops to ensure production continues into the next season,” she said.
President Samia also revealed plans to construct new grain storage facilities in several regions to expand NFRA’s capacity to purchase and preserve crops.
“We understand that farmers are producing more, thanks to the improved farming environment. The government is working to ensure we can purchase and safely store these grains,” she explained.
Earlier, parliamentary candidates from Njombe and Iringa urged the President to instruct NFRA to accelerate the opening of crop-buying centres.
Makambako parliamentary candidate, Mr Daniel Chongolo, said some traders were persuading farmers to sell their produce at low prices, adding that local leaders encouraged them to wait for NFRA’s intervention.
“We are asking you to order NFRA to open cropbuying centres. Farmers have produced enough, both for their families and the market,” he said.
President Samia assured residents that NFRA would soon begin direct purchases from farmers.
In Kalenga, she emphasised that her government is focused on empowering citizens through development projects.
“In the areas I have visited, many people have expressed satisfaction with projects that improve their lives. This is exactly what we will continue to do in the next five years,” she said.
She also urged CCM members to stay united during the campaign season.
“We must come together, put aside differences and not allow ourselves to lose strength,” she said.
President Samia pledged that her government would sustain the current pace of development over the next five years, including expanding road networks, extending electricity and water supply, building hospitals, health centres, dispensaries, schools, vocational training centres, colleges and university branches across the country.
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