Ministry gives MACRO TECH 14 days to complete Farmers’ Training Centre

MOROGORO: THE Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture in charge of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization, Engineer Athumani Kilundumya, has given the contractor from MACRO TECH Company 14 days to ensure completion of construction and rehabilitation works on infrastructure at the Mkindo Farmers’ Training Centre, located in Mvomero District, Morogoro Region, in accordance with the contract terms.

Engineer Kilundumya said the project’s implementation status is unsatisfactory, as the contractor is still at an initial construction stage of only about 10 percent, which does not match the project implementation schedule. He warned that if the contractor fails to complete the work within the 14-day period, the Government will be forced to take strict disciplinary measures as stipulated in the contract.

“I am very disappointed with the progress of this project. On the Government’s side, all preparations have been completed, but the contractor has let us down. You have no valid reason to explain why the work stands at only 10 percent, yet you were supposed to hand over this project in January 2026. The signs I have seen clearly show that you will not meet that target,” said Engineer Kilundumya.

He added that the Government has been prioritizing local contractors in the implementation of various projects, but some of them fail to deliver the expected results, a situation that discourages both the Government and the public at large.

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As a result, the Deputy Permanent Secretary directed engineers from the Ministry of Agriculture to begin taking immediate technical and legal steps to ensure the project is implemented to the required quality standards, with the aim of enabling farmers to start receiving training as intended by the Government.

Once completed, the project will have the capacity to provide training to between 70 and 100 farmers at a time and will include accommodation facilities for participants.

The construction and rehabilitation project of the Mkindo Farmers’ Training Centre is valued at TSh 653,398,555.20 and includes the construction of a classroom, dormitories, a perimeter fence, a guardhouse, toilets, as well as the rehabilitation of other administrative buildings.