Fertiliser ‘adulteration’ lands three people in trouble
Some of the empty fertiliser sacks seized by Njombe regional police in Makambako Town, which were being used to package a different type of fertiliser under the original sack branding. PHOTO|SEIF JUMANNE
Njombe. Njombe Regional Police have arrested three people for allegedly adulterating fertiliser and selling counterfeit products to farmers in Makambako Town.
Businessman Ayubu Sanga, also implicated in the case, is being urged to surrender to any police station in the region after evading arrest.
Njombe Regional Police Commander Mahamoud Banga told journalists on Wednesday, 25 March 2026, that the suspects are James Nziku, 41, of Bwawani; Ahmed Abdallah, 21, of Mji Mwema; and Selemani Lameck Msiani, 37, of Jogoo Street in Makambako.
He said the suspects had been transferring fertiliser from Fomi bags into DAP-branded bags and selling them to farmers in varying quantities.
“At the time of their arrest in a storage room belonging to Ayubu Sanga, who is currently at large, they had already transferred 188 bags of Fomi fertiliser into DAP bags,” Banga said.
The police seized 549 empty 50-kilogram Fomi fertiliser bags, 440 new 50-kilogram DAP bags, 341 empty 5-kilogram bags from Export Trading Group (ETG), and a sewing machine used to stitch the bags.
Mr Banga urged Sanga to surrender to any police station and warned the public against involvement in criminal activities, stressing that anyone found violating the law will face prosecution.
Agriculture Officer for Makambako Town Council, Beatrice Tarimo, said a citizen alerted authorities about the ongoing fertiliser transfer and repackaging.
“Immediate action was taken to assist farmers, and the illegal operation has now been halted,” Tarimo said.
Regional Supervisor for TFC Fertiliser Company in the Southern Highlands, Samwel Msongwe, said the suspects’ use of the company’s branding had caused major disruption for farmers.
“We are here to stop the fraudulent activity carried out by input sellers who were transferring fertiliser from other types into our company-branded bags,” he said.
Chairman of the Agricultural Inputs Agents Association in Makambako, Oraph Mhema, called for strict measures against those engaging in such practices to protect the sector.
“When agents conduct business, they must follow proper procedures. Those who act dishonestly will be dealt with to safeguard this sector,” Mhema said.
