Dodoma — THE Tanzania Agricultural Seed Agency (ASA) has expressed its dismay over the consistent tendency by Singida Region authorities of failing to distribute to farmers more than 100 tonnes of subsidised sunflower seedlings.
The seedlings were dispatched by the agency to help farmers from across the region during the ongoing growing season.
While the sunflower cropping season approaches its end, it has been reported that more than 100 metric tonnes of the subsidised sunflower seeds that was channeled in the region through the state-owned seed Agency, ASA, has not been distributed to the intended growers as the seeds are still in the hands of ward and village officials for no sober reasons.
Following the situation, ASA's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Sophia Kashenge has demanded the region to compensate the costs of the misused volume of the vital seeds.
In this farming season, Dr Kashenge expressed, the Agency sent at least 396 metric tonnes of the subsidised sunflower seeds, around 309,580 kg, costing more than 1.79bn/-, saying the seeds were sold to the councils at a subsidised price of 4,500/- per kilogramme.
However, she disclosed that the actual total value of the seeds was more than 3.16bn/-.
"The actual cost of the seeds (without subsidy) was more than 3.16bn/-, whereby through the subsidy window, we marketed the seeds to them at the indicative price of 4,500/- per kg in order for them to sell to the farmers at 5,000/- and remain with at least a profit of 500/- for each kg to help them cater for other expenses involved in the distribution exercise," she detailed.
With the more than 100metric tonnes that was not distributed to the farmers, it means the involved councils should pay ASA more than 450m/- as compensation cost of the misused seeds.
Being the country's major hub for production of sunflower, Dr Kashenge noted that sabotaging of the seeds would probably see shrinking in the production of the edible oil manufacturing crop in the region and the country as a whole.
"What is more disturbing was the way top leaders in the region pressed us to supply the region with the high volume of the seeds to the extent that we were even compelled to halt sending it to other areas and give them first priority, without knowing that they will make poor use of the vital seeds that could have helped farmers in other regions," she narrated.
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She added that apparently the councils did not conduct research to determine the actual amount of the seeds that was required, and insisted that the Morogoro-based Agency was not in any position to tolerate such 'unpatriotic habit' that dilutes efforts to spur performance of the key sector in the country.
Speaking recently over the matter during the Singida Region's Consultative Council (RCC), Singida Regional Commissioner (RC), Peter Serukamba directed that the seeds should immediately be distributed to the farmers in need, otherwise the council should pay for the cost of the seeds.
Singida Region, the country's leading producer of sunflower, is implementing a strategy to heighten edible oil production to reach at least 159,110.5 tonnes, or 44.2 per cent of the imported edible oil.
Among others, the strategy focuses to help the country solve its edible oil production shortage that started in the 2021/22 season, and in achieving the goals, the region eyes to expand the acreage for the sunflower cultivation to 631,391 acres that are expected to help produce at least 492,485 tonnes on the economic cash crop.
