Songea DC Advises Farmers on Maize Price, Awaits Official Rate

Songea — SONGEA District Commissioner, Wilman Kapenjama Ndile has urged maize farmers to avoid selling their harvest to middlemen at low prices as they await the government's official indicative maize purchase price expected to be announced this August. Speaking to journalists at his office, Mr Ndile said farmers should remain patient and avoid disposing of their maize at unfair prices before official purchasing arrangements are announced. "The government is expected to announce the indicative maize buying price this August. I urge farmers not to rush into selling their maize to middlemen at low prices while waiting for the official price," he said. Mr Ndile advised farmers facing immediate financial needs to consider selling other crops such as beans, soybeans and pigeon peas instead of maize. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines "Farmers who need money urgently can sell other crops such as beans, soybeans or pigeon peas to meet their expenses instead of selling maize at a loss," he said. He added that farmers who are able to store their maize safely for a longer period are likely to secure better prices once the government announces the indicative buying price. ALSO READ: TDB, Tanzania deepen partnership on investment The District Commissioner also clarified the collection of a 1,000/- levy per bag of maize at buying centres, saying it is a legal local government levy collected in accordance with government regulations. "The 1,000/- collected per bag is a lawful local government levy. The revenue is used to finance development projects such as health centres, schools and teachers' houses," he said. Mr Ndile condemned reports that some revenue collectors have been charging farmers transporting small quantities of maize from villages such as Litisha and Kilagano to other areas. He said government directives prohibit the collection of the levy from individuals transporting up to nine bags of maize or produce weighing less than one tonne for household consumption. "No levy should be collected from people transporting up to nine bags of maize or produce weighing less than one tonne for household use," he said. Residents transporting maize for personal use should obtain an identification letter from their village chairperson, which exempts them from paying the levy, he added. The District Commissioner warned that disciplinary action would be taken against any public official found harassing citizens or collecting levies contrary to government regulations. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Any public official found harassing citizens or collecting levies contrary to government directives will face disciplinary action," he said. At the same time, he cautioned that individuals who deliberately split large consignments into smaller loads to evade the levy would face legal action. Mr Ndile also announced a public hotline, 0768 077 777, through which residents can report abuse of authority, injustice and other grievances. "Residents can report abuse of authority, injustice and other challenges through this number at any time, but I urge them to use it responsibly," he said. He further warned brokers against selling National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) sacks, stressing that the bags are provided free of charge at maize purchasing centres. "NFRA sacks are provided free of charge at buying centres. Anyone found selling the sacks or charging farmers for them will face strict legal action," he said. Read the original article on Daily News . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish new