|
Long-term solution needed in combating food shortage
2006-02-15 07:35:23
By Deogratius Mushi
News coming from Monduli district, Arusha region last weekend, was in deed very shocking.
Some sections of the Media reported hunger was threatening peoples’ lives, and already, two children of Engikaret village in the same district, namely Nanginyi Sukurubu (6) and Loniti Liakenya (7) had died of hunger. Their parents failed to provide them with food.
The chairman of Engikaret village, Ngibile Ngoileny confirmed the deaths, affirming that his area needs relief food urgently, to help thousands of people currently starving.
After hearing the shocking news, the Prime Minister Edward Lowassa quickly dispatched a minister in his office Mizengo Pinda to Monduli, to go and assess the food problem, and his findings might help the government know how severe is the problem.
It is undeniable fact that the country is facing an acute food shortage currently, and the visit of the Premier in Kilimanjaro and Shinyanga regions two weeks ago has confirmed that something ought to be done countrywide quickly, to help those suffering from hunger, least the worst happen to them.
The government has released data, showing the amount of food available in the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR).
Sadly, in order to address food shortage effectively this year, more than 40,000 tons of grain are still needed to supplement what is reserved in the SGR.
Let’s hope the donor and business community will be able to raise enough money and buy the food, to save the poor from starving.
Such solutions might help in combating food crisis in the country, but sadly to say, they can be short-lived.
They could be supplemented by rather practical decisions, which might lead the country into food self-sufficiency in years to come.
I ask myself of one thing. Suppose all SGR food is used, and then the country experiences poor harvest this year.
What will happen next year? Definitely, life will be tough, and the country will have to beg for food outside.
I wonder how many people might have taken serious a statement given in parliament last week by Kwera MP Chrisant Mzindakaya when he alleged that the majority of agricultural officers are based in towns and cities especially Dar es Salaam. ’Only few officers are in rural areas.
Who can then help peasants improve their skills?’ He asked.
Mzindakaya winded his contribution in the House by firmly affirming that there won’t be effective agricultural revolution, if the government won’t send its officers to help farmers in rural areas.
I concur with Mzindakaya’s ideas, because the insufficient technology deployed in farming has resulted into having poor harvest.
Another problem that Mzindakaya didn’t point out is land allocation, which is the central point of discussion in today’s column.
Most arable land in this country is not effectively used. While some people keep hundreds of fertile land every year without tilling it, thousands of people remain idle without even an acre where they could cultivate maize or any other type of grain.
Our country lacks a system whereby people without land could be allocated with areas to cultivate different crops. Something needs to change.
For example, I know some fertile areas in Siha district, Kilimanjaro region where big pieces of land remain dormant every year, simply because their owners refuse to lease them to those willing to cultivate different crops.
Two years ago, I visited one area in Muheza district, Tanga region where thousands of fertile land go uncultivated every year. A resident in the same village even told me that the soil is so rich that one doesn’t need fertilizer.
Looking at such a beautiful unused land, while majorities of our young men continue to be machingas in our cities and towns, one feels that there is something wrong with our chain of administration, that doesn’t see the importance of making the youth productive.
A story is told of how the Chinese were shocked by the richness of Tanzania, when they were building the Tanzania Zambia Railway line (TAZARA).
Having seen how the country was fertile right from Kisarawe to Mbeya region, the Chinese said that Tanzania would be able to feed Kenya, Uganda and some neighbouring countries if better farming technology would be deployed.
No wonder the same people are flocking into the country to enrich themselves.
Though little grain is produced every year, some farmers quickly sell their produce at very cheap prices, and after some few months they begin experiencing food shortage.
Rumours has it that business men and women from one neighbouring country buy grain from Tanzania during harvest time then hoard it for sometime, before start re-selling it to the same people who sold them, but this time at a very high price.
With the current speed of our government, which prefers action than words, there is a need to re-allocate the arable land to people and organizations, which are ready to make use of them economically.
This will eventually save the country from famine, and thus supply food to its citizens.
|
