Still, growers are rejecting its Sh450 per kilogramme buying price, saying it is too low.
The resistance comes despite private traders offering between Sh250 and Sh300 per kilogramme in producing areas.
In Kiteto and Songea, maize prices have fallen to as low as Sh32,000 per sack, while prices in Songwe, Katavi, Rukwa, Dodoma and Arusha remain below Sh45,000.
In Songwe, farmer Agnes Mwashiuya said selling a sack for Sh36,000 to Sh38,000 represented a loss, considering incurred production costs including basal fertiliser costs of Sh95,000, top-dressing fertiliser Sh80,000 and improved seed up to Sh100,000.
Speaking to The Citizen over the weekend, NFRA chief executive officer (CEO), Dr Andrew Komba, acknowledged resistance in some rural areas.
“We will continue on Monday buying maize from farmers in Songea region, as well as from areas that have agreed to our new price of Sh450. However, there are still some areas that are resisting, and we are unable to go there,” said Dr Komba.
Dr Komba said farmers consider the Sh450 price to be too low, even though they complain that the Sh250 and Sh300 offered by traders are also too low, noting, however, that they have discussed and agreed to a price level that they believe is viable.
“We will go to all areas that agree to this price to buy maize. We started with Njombe, and now we are going to Songea and areas around the Makambako corridor, where they have agreed to the price. However, we believe that after further discussions, other areas will also agree,” said Dr Komba.
In Njombe, NFRA Manager for the Makambako Zone Revocatus Bisama confirmed that purchases at Sh450 per kilogramme would start at designated centres, including Amani, Shaurimoyo, Mlangali and Ludewa in Ludewa District.
Ludewa District Council Executive Director Sunday Deogratias said local authorities were also engaging private companies to buy directly from farmers.
“Increasing the number of buyers will help broaden market competition and expand opportunities for farmers to sell their maize at good prices,” said Mr Deogratias.
The Sh450 price follows NFRA’s plan to procure 1.2 million tonnes of cereals during the 2026/27 financial year following a bumper harvest.
Ahead of the season, NFRA acting director of food reserve Imani Nzobonaliba said the agency would intervene. “The NFRA assures the public that it will buy grain this season as it has in previous seasons. Our plan this year is to purchase over one million tonnes. Of this, the bulk will be maize, alongside approximately 93,000 tonnes of paddy and 7,000 tonnes of sorghum,” he stated.
“We will go to their areas because our main goal is to encourage farmers to continue producing,” he said.
Pre-season allocations earmarked 140,000 tonnes for Makambako, 100,000 tonnes for Sumbawanga, 82,000 tonnes for Arusha and 74,000 tonnes for Shinyanga.
However, experts said procurement timing would determine whether the intervention succeeds.
Sokoine University of Agriculture senior lecturer, Dr Anna Temu stressed: “The government should buy at a fair price to protect farmers, but the challenge is that purchases often start late.”
“Farmers need cash immediately, not weeks later. When the government delays, they are forced to sell to traders because they lack storage facilities,” she added.
Agriculture Council of Tanzania board chairman, Mr Jitu Soni, urged NFRA to create purchasing windows for smallholders.
“A trader may buy maize at between Sh30,000 and Sh40,000 per sack and later resell it to NFRA at Sh60,000. The agency should buy directly from smallholder farmers, so they can at least recover their production costs,” stressed Mr Soni.
