MBARALI dISTRICT TO CONSTRUCT A MARKET

By Friday Simbaya,
Mbarali

MBARALI District Council in collaboration European Union (EU) is planning to construct an international market for cereals like rice near Igurusi Village at more than 1.5bn/- on the 23 acres of land.

The market will under the farmers networking group (MVIWATA) will be complex market that will have storage, processing and selling points.

According to the Mbarali District Executive Director, George Kagomba, the market just like the Kibaigwa Maize International market in Dodoma Region, will be set in Mbarali but this time for rice and cereals hence the platform for buyers and sellers.

He said that for long time rice farmers have been suffering from lack reliable market after harvest their farm produce but the construction of market will relieve from burden of looking customers.

This kind of international market will be also set up in Rukwa region so that Southern Highland Zone should have modern markets as the platform to bring buyers and sellers together.

Furthermore, Mbarali District Agriculture and Livestock Development Officer (DALDO), Dickson Maruchu said that also there will some small-scale industries will be constructed at the international market.

He said Mbarali District has a total of 1,600,000 hectares of land of which 196,000 hectares is suitable for arable farming, which receives rainfall between November and May.

Mbarali District has projection of about 299,714 people 2010-2011 with stable food security with 77,142 tons excess of food including carbohydrates and protein foods.

The harvest this year is as follows, 153,880 ton of rice, 71,200 tons of maize and 15,190 beans.

The district also has total of 680 power tillers, 155 tractors and 60 cooperative societies plus the total of 80 irrigation schemes.

Meanwhile, the district is also planning to construct five multipurpose dams that will be used for fish farming, hydro-electricity power generation and irrigation purpose, as supplement farming for the rainy season.

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