Farmers urged to restore production on abandoned tea farms
What you need to know:
- Over 29,000 tonnes of fertiliser have been distributed to tea farmers at subsidised prices to boost production
Iringa. Tea farmers have been urged to reinstate activities on abandoned farms to economically benefit from high global prices.
The Tanzania Smallholder Tea Development Agency director, Mr Theophord Ndunguru, made the call on Friday, May 10, 2024, during a meeting of small-scale Agriculture Marketing Cooperative Societies (Amcos) held here.
He said most tea farmers have neglected their farms, leaving them unattended. Some of them have even changed land use, believing that the crop’s value in the global market has adversely deteriorated.
"As leaders of cooperative societies, you must engage your farmers and ensure productivity is revived on abandoned farms to benefit from the strengthening of crop values,” he said.
The Tanzania Fertiliser Company (TFC) representative, Mr Daud Siarra, said over 29,000 tonnes of fertiliser have been distributed to tea farmers at subsidised prices.
The Tanzania Fertiliser Regulatory Authority (TFRA) manager for the southern highlands, Mr Joshua Ngo'ndya, said the government's goal in providing subsidised fertilisers is to increase production, ensure food security, and improve the availability of raw materials for industrial production.
To address past challenges, Mr Ngo’ndya said the government, through the authority, has committed to increasing fertiliser distribution centres, the number of agents, and the use of cooperative societies to bring services closer to farmers.
“Unregistered farmers should do so through their local government offices or village authorities,” he said.
