TFS resolves 96pc of village boundary disputes

MOROGORO: THE Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) Agency has successfully resolved 423 of 438 village boundary disputes coordinated through the eight-Minister Committee, leaving just 15 unresolved.

TFS Conservation Commissioner, Prof Dos Santos Silayo, made the announcement ahead of the fourth meeting of Commanders, Officers and Rangers held in Morogoro, in the presence of Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Hamad Hassan Chande.

“Under the directives of the President and the eight-Minister Committee, we have resolved 96 per cent of the disputes affecting our forests,” Prof Silayo said.

He added that in areas where conflicts have been settled, there have been no new encroachments.

“We will continue working with other authorities to fully resolve the remaining 15 disputes,” he said.

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Prof Silayo also highlighted that TFS has constructed 138 new facilities, including offices and forest protection posts, to strengthen forest management.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister Chande urged TFS to increase honey production from the current 9.5 tonnes exported annually to 50,000 tonnes.

“This target can be achieved if the agency fully utilises forest resources, as there are over nine million bee colonies in Tanzania,” he said, noting the high demand for Tanzanian honey in international markets.

“Boosting production will increase exports and generate more revenue for both the agency and the government.”