Run maize market like private firm -Dr. Shein
 
2005-07-08 09:38:35
By Privatus Lipili, PST, Dodoma

	Vice- president Dr Ali Mohamed Shein inagurates a milling machine at Kibaigwa Village in Kongwa District, Dodoma Region on Wednesday.

Vice President, Dr Ali Mohammed Shein, has advised the Ministry of Co-operatives and Markets to run the Kibaigwa International Maize Market as a company to give a chance to maize farmers and buyers to own shares in it.

The market is located in Kibaigwa town, Kongwa district in Dodoma.
Addressing guests at a ceremony to officially open the market on Wednesday, Dr Shein said that running the market like a company would increase efficiency as shareholders would closely monitor its management to ensure that it delivers.

He said the Ministry of Co-operatives and Markets must come up with regulations to ensure that the market operates efficiently and raises the incomes of maize producers and dealers.

’’We all know the cost we have incurred to build this asset. 1.3bn/- is not a small amount of money for a country like Tanzania.

I therefore call upon the authorities responsible to run the market profitably and at the same time ensure that the buildings and other infrastructure are maintained properly,’’ Dr Shein said.

 He urged the ministry to review the existing legislations and do away with those that obstruct the growth of the market.

Commenting on the future of co-operatives, Dr Shein advised the ministry to think of expanding its activities to meet the likely rapid growth of the maize sub-sector and other related business.

’’The marked will definitely stir a rapid growth in the maize sub-sector. It is important you come up with strategies to cope with demand in future. I would also like to advise you to increase the price of the maize for the benefit of farmers,’’ the VP said.

Dr Shein cited low prices, which discourage farmers from selling their crops.
’’As a result they do not have enough money to engage in modern farming and raise production.

Many of them are also not aware of the need to increase the quality of crops to fetch better prices,’’ adding that the ministry would have to address these problems to utilise the Kibaigwa market fully.

Minister for Co-operative and Markets George Kahama, told the guests that the Kibaigwa International market is paying dividends in that goods from the market are already being sold in the East and Southern African countries.

 He said that an estimated 130,000 tonnes of maize have passed through the market since July last year.

 Kibaigwa International Maize market project was made possible with the help of the government of France. The project aims at solving the perennial maize market

• SOURCE: Guardian