Govt orders board to establish warehouse facilities close to farmers
THE government has urged the Warehouse Receipt Regulatory Board (WRRB) to establish warehouses close to farmers for easy transportation of their produce to the storage facilities.
The Minister for Investment, Industry and Trade, Dr Ashatu Kijaji said at the inauguration of the new WRRB Board in Dar es Salaam, recently that WRRB should look at where warehouses are needed by farmers.
“As the Board, you can reach out to financial institutions to facilitate the building of warehouses where farmers can easily send their crops at affordable costs,” she said.
Furthermore, Dr Kijaji directed the Board of Directors to advise and tell citizens the type of produce required in the market and the standard required in the market.
“Let’s start with the crops value chain so that farmers know when they harvest and where to sell their produce. You should not wait for farmers to harvest and tell them to sell some produce in the warehouse” the minister noted.
Dr Kijaji said the Board should use opportunities to promote the government’s efforts to formalise existing marketing systems in order to reduce obstacles that hinder productive production and market research for various products.
She said that the system has various benefits, including empowering farmers to fetch high market prices by encouraging them to use a common system to collect and sell, to provide assurance of quality products and certification system.
Dr Kijaji asked the board to encourage the processing of primary products in the country with the aim of adding value and promoting the development of industries.
The minister said also that the availability of the best warehouses reduce post-harvest losses, strengthen food security and increase the scope of citizens to be able to borrow from financial institutions using their crops as collateral.
On her part, the Board Chairperson, Professor Geraldine Rasheli said the Board would work hard and bring changes since the Board Members are experts from various fields.
Ms Rasheli said they would work on government instructions to see how to fix the positions of those who are acting so that people can be free to work.
