| Market awash with ineffective pesticides, farmers complain | Send to a friend |
| Monday, 06 September 2010 22:19 |
 By Alvar MwakyusaCoffee farmers have appealed to the government to ensure the efficacy of pesticides on sale to control pests. “There is a need to monitor pesticides entering the country,” Kanyovu Coffee Curing Joint Entreprises chairman Yahya Mahwisa said in Kigoma “We call on the authorities to take our plea seriously because we have been getting poor-quality pesticides,” he said. He was speaking to visiting farmers and cooperative officials from Singida, Lindi and Coast regions recently. The farmers were in Kigoma to learn from their Kanyovu colleagues on how to start and run cooperatives effectively and efficiently. ActionAid Tanzania is supporting a two-year programme to improve farmers’ well-being. Singida farmers will form a sunflower cooperative union while those in Coast and Lindi will set up cashew and fishing cooperatives respectively. Mr Mahwisa said despite spraying pesticides on coffee trees, coffee berry disease (CBD) was still plaguing farms. “Even after spraying the pesticides, farmers are just harvesting half of the projected yields,” he said. CBD was first reported in Kilimanjaro Region before it spread to other coffee growing regions of Kigoma, Rukwa and Kagera. According to Mr Mahwisa, Lyamungo Research Institute scientists have developed a CBD-resistant coffee hybrid. “Farmers will be able to harvest up to 90 per cent of projected harvests.” The Kanyovu cooperative, which encompasses 11 primary cooperative societies of Kasulu, Kibondo and Kigoma districts, has 1,200 members. The cooperative secretary, Mr Saidi Bijenge, said production was being improved to meet an increasing demand for specialty coffee. “We are encouraging young people to start new farms and expand others,” he said. Politician Zitto Kabwe said the government had given little support to farmers in forming cooperative unions. “It even charged VAT to cooperatives and the tax was waived after a lot of complaints.” Mr Mahwisa wondered why the government was failing to stop middlemen who were exploiting farmers by undermining cooperative activities. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
