By Renatha Msungu, Mbeya
THE Tanzania Fertilizer Regulatory Authority (TFRA) has urged the Authority's executives to work professional and in sync with the local government authorities to plug any loop holes for smuggling of the subsidized fertilizers outside the country.
The directives came at a wake of reported incidents of illegal transportation of the vital agro inputs from outside the country, especially within the regions bordering neighboring countries.
The useful directive has been given by Dr Anthony Diallo, the Chairman of the TFRA's Board of Directors.
He was speaking during a special forum to discuss over progression in the running of the subsidized fertilizer scheme across the country.
The event convened in Mbeya Region, attracted the TFRA's officials and executives, the stakeholders in the fertilizer sector as well as the registered agents.
He said sabotaging of the subsidized fertilizers was thwarting the much needed vision by the sixth phase government to ensure the agriculture sector is contributing highly onto the country’s economy.
He insisted that the fertilizers are supposed to reach the intended farmers on proper time to enable them cultivating the various crops and attain deserved productivity.
"The government decided to subsidize fertilizer in order to allow, and make it easier for all farmers, especially those based in the country’s interior wards to access the input at affordable prices," he insisted.
He also spoke over the need to ensure for the accord data on the actual number of the farmers, from wards and districts levels, who are in need of the subsidized fertilizers.
He added, in some cases, there has been a difference in the statistics given over the number of the farmers to benefit from the subsidized fertilizers among the fertilizer's agents and the local government officials.
Together with that, Dr Diallo urged for fruitful utilization of the soil testing kits that have been rolled out by the government in order to assist the farmers to stand a professional side to apply the proper fertilizers that suits the types of soils in their respective cultivating areas.
Mbeya Regional Commissioner (RC), Juma Homera sensitized the farmers in the region, and the country in large, to register themselves in order to benefit accordingly from the subsidized fertilizers scheme.
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