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Lowassa: Eliminate middlemen in tobacco buying
2006-05-18 09:12:35
By Pastory Nguvu and Helen Mwango
The Prime Minister, Edward Lowassa, has ordered the immediate elimination of middlemen in the tobacco industry who buy the cash crop from farmers, but fail to pay them in time.
The Premier issued the directive yesterday in Dar es Salaam, as he officially opened a meeting of tobacco stakeholders.
He said during his up country tours, he received many complaints from the tobacco farmers that they were not paid on time something which has been affecting production of the cash crop.
’’You are the ones who give mandate these business people to purchase tobacco from you, if they fail to do, you also have the mandate to eliminate them as soon as possible,’’ he told the stakeholders.
He said for the past three years tobacco production has increased by 73 per cent, consequently employment has also multiplied.
Meanwhile, Premier Lowassa has given tobacco stakeholders in the country four years to increase production of the cash crop to hit 100 million kilogrammes from about 57 million kilogrammes produced currently.
Lowassa directed in a press statement issued yesterday in Dar es Salaam that authorities charged with improving tobacco production should see to it that the goal is achieved by the year 2010.
The statement was issued yesterday in Dar es Salaam when closing a one-day workshop for tobacco stakeholders in the city.
’’If our neighboring Malawi can produce 200 million kilogrammes, it is also possible for Tanzania to produce more,’’ he said
He added: ’’Why should we always accept a lower position in every thing? In primary education our neighbours have left us behind. In secondary too we are behind. Even in universities we are the last,’’ he said.
Lowassa said that there is a problem of poor management of different things. He said people were good at giving explanations on why certain things were not proper.
The Prime Minister, said he decided to convene meetings to discuss how to promote our important cash crops cashew nuts, cotton, tobacco and coffee.
’’Now, we have a single task of supervising agriculture. Any Municipal Council Director, District Commissioner or even Regional Commissioner who would fail to ensure that agricultural development plans in his locale are not achieved must step down,’’ he said.
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