PM: Be patient for infrastructures’ restoration

MBEYA: PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has called on the citizens to be patient as the government assesses damages to infrastructures after the end of rainy season for re-construction.

“We have experienced floods in various places in the country. Be patient; let’s wait for the rain to end. We are delaying paying for the construction because rain will destroy infrastructures again. Continue to have faith in your government, continue to believe in our President Samia Suluhu Hassan,” Mr Majaliwa said.

He also expressed the president’s sadness following floods that occurred to residents of Kyela District in April this year. The PM made the call during the meeting with citizens and Cocoa crop stakeholders held at Kyela Cooperative Union (KYECU) immediately after inspecting the union’s cocoa warehouse.

Moreover, Mr Majaliwa urged the cocoa farmers to ensure that their farms are kept clean to keep off diseases and pests.

On his part, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, David Silinde said that the ministry is intending to produce many seedlings so that they can be distributed free to farmers. “We have requested for an area so that we can produce more quality seedlings to reach 100,000 from the current 34,000 seedlings” he pointed out.

He said the ministry also has an irrigation project which is being built at the tune of 21bn/- in Kyela District and will serve seven villages including Makare, Mababu and Ilovo. Speaking about the fungus that is destroying the cocoa crop, the deputy minister said that the crop is still organic, so it does not need industrial medicines.

“I have instructed Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) to follow up and find a solution to the problem,” he said.

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The Prime Minister inspected the six-acre farm of a cocoa farmer, Mr Clement Msalangi in Kilombero village, Mababu Ward, Kyela District. Mr Msalangi told the Prime Minister that the farm with more than 4,000 seedlings harvests three tonnes of cocoa per year, adding that currently the price of one kg is between 25,000/-and 32,000/-.

The Agriculture Officer of the ward, Benjamin Mwaijumba said the ward’s farmers are farming two varieties including Criollo and Forastero which both have the same price, but differ in production.

“Forastero yields more than Criollo and many Kyela farmers cultivate the Forastero variety, cocoa has no season because when it reaches four to five years, the farmer starts harvesting the whole year,” he added.