Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has denounced bureaucracy in issuing loans to farmers saying the malpractice has been affecting government efforts to boost productivity of strategic crops including grapes.
The Premier said that most farmers have been complaining about lack of capital and procedures of accessing loans for their activities.
Mr Majaliwa made the remarks in Dodoma yesterday when he held talks with the grapes development stakeholders at the Treasurer Hall, urging them to grow grapes which can cater for the production of wine and consumption.
He said during his field tour of grapes block farms around the city, the main complaint by farmers and winemakers was lack of capital and how to access loans. According to farmers one acre of grapes may cost between 6m/ and 8m/-
The PM elaborated that most farmers have failed to secure loans timely due to existing conditions, including time taken to review projects’ proposal submitted for loans application.
“You should help farmers to prepare wrights up because most of them lack skills of how to prepare the documents,” he said.
He further called on financial institutions to set up special desks which will help farmers on how to prepare write ups with the required standards and move the services closer to farmers in order to address their needs.
The PM also called on the ministry of agriculture to make sure that farmers have access to extension services to help them boost grapes’ productivity in Dodoma Region.
The Premier revealed that productivity of the crop recently has been dropped due to lack of extension services to the farmers where by yield for grapes per acre has been dropped to 2.5 tonness from the expected 7 tonness.
“The yield is not satisfied on grapes, previously we didn’t put more effort into pushing the grapes’ production forward, but now we launch this special campaign to revive the production all over the country.” He insisted.
Also, he hinted that the study has been conducted and revealed that the soil in Bunda, Tanga, Tabora, Iringa and is conducive for grapes productions; he called the farmers in those regions to take grapes farming into consideration.
However, Majaliwa pledged to protect local wine producers in the local market, which currently the imported wines dominate in the liquor stores due to their competitive price.
The PM also directed all councils in Dodoma Region to introduce nurseries for grape seedlings to help farmers to acquire a reliable seed supply.
Mr Majaliwa also ordered grape farmers’ cooperative unions to do the same for its members so that they can have access to a reliable seed supply.
“The National Service (JKT) and the Tanzania Prisons Services (TPS) among other institutions should start growing the crop and use the farms to train other farmers on best ways to cultivate the crop,” said Mr Majaliwa.
He directed the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) through its Makutupora centre to strengthen its research so as to acquire better and much more productive seedlings for the farmers.
Through a campaign to develop the crop, the government will supervise grape farming while ensuring the grapes grown in the country are of high quality with the aim of securing a reliable market.
The Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Mr Hussein Bashe pointed out that in order to identify and reach grape farmers in the country; the ministry has started to register them.
Besides the registration of farmers, the ministry has started holding discussions for the establishment of a grape development fund whose main contributors will be farmers and factory owners.
On his part, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Job Ndugai observed that the major investment on grape processing factories will help the crop to access a reliable market and attract more farmers to venture into grape farming.
MrNdugai called upon the management of the Dodoma City Council to grant permission for people to grow grapes within the city, recommending that people should grow grapes within their compounds like ordinary flowers.
Whereas, the Parliamentarian for Dodoma Constituency, Mr Anthon Mavunde requested the government to support the farmers in further improving the crop by selling grape pulp instead of the ordinary fruits.
The farmers on the other hand requested the government to support them in accessing grape seedlings, loans and training on the best way of increasing productivity of their production.
