|
Over 600,000 face acute food shortage
2006-02-01 08:02:44
By Ludger Kasumuni
About 613,005 people are facing acute food shortage in the country, according to a government report.
President Jakaya Kikwete released the report on the country’s state of food yesterday when addressing Dar es Salaam elders during his first end of the month speech to the nation.
The President said 10 regions, including Shinyanga, Mwanza, Kilimanjaro and Singida had been identified as facing acute food shortage. Others are Tanga, Dodoma, Mara, Tabora, Arusha and Morogoro.
He said the government had already dispatched 21,499 tonnes of cereals to the needy regions, adding that additional 18,947 tonnes of foodstuff would be dispatched later, depending on the requirements.
To help ease the hunger burden, the President said that the government had set a price of 50/- per a kilogram of maize.
’I would like to assure you that no Tanzanian will die of hunger as the government has subsidised the price of maize,’ Kikwete said.
He said the government had wavered import on cereals to enable importers to bring into the country large quantities of cereals.
To reduce the cost of distribution of imported cereals, the government has set aside 934,241,800/- for local governments in regions facing food shortage, the President said.
On the looming power rationing, the President said the prolonged drought had affected power supply, forcing the government to spend more money on power produced by the Independent Power Supply Tanzania Limited (IPTL).
’If rains will not fall by next month, we will be forced to embark on power rationing, because the Mtera Dam water limit of 690 metres has already been exhausted,’ the President said.
President Kikwete also spoke on other serious problems facing the nation including skyrocketing oil prices and escalating armed robbery in Dar es Salaam and Arusha regions.
Meanwhile, Dar es Salaam elders have told President Kikwete that the pay rise demanded by legislators was unrealistic.
The elders said in a statement read to the President that they were opposed to the demand because it overshadowed the interests of the nation.
|
