SERIKALI YAFUNGUA MIPAKA YA KUUZA MAZAO YA CHAKULA NJE YA NCHI

Mkuu wa mkoa wa Iringa, Dkt. Christine Ishengoma akiongea na waandishi wa habari jana kuhusu utoaji wa vibali kwa wafanyabiashara vya kusafirisha mazao nje ya nchi ambavyo wizara ya Kilimo, Chakula naUshirika imekuwa ikitoa na kuratibu upatikanaji wake kwa mujibu waSheria ya Usalama wa Chakula. (PICHA NA FRIDAY SIMBAYA)

Na Friday Simbaya, Iringa

Mkoa wa Iringa umeanza utoaji wa vibali kwa wafanyabiashara vya 

kusafirisha mazao nje ya nchi ambavyo wizara ya Kilimo, Chakula na 

Ushirika imekuwa ikitoa na kuratibu upatikanaji wake kwa mujibu wa 

Sheria ya Usalama wa Chakula.

Akiongea na waandishi wa habari jana (JUMATATU) ofisini kwake Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Iringa, Dkt. Christine Ishengoma alisema kutokana na kuwepo kwa ziada kubwa ya mazao ya chakula mkoani Iringa na nchini kwa ujumla, serikali imefungua mipaka ya kuuza mazao (mahindi na mpungu) hayo ndani na nje ya nchi.

Alisema hii ni kutokana na taarifa na tathmini iliyofanywa juu ya uzalishaji wa mazao ya chakula kwa msimu wa kilimo wa mwaka 2013/2014.

Aidha, tahmini hiyo ilienda sambamba na utabiri wa awali wa

upatikanaji wa chakula nchini kwa mwaka 2014/2015," mkuu wa mkoa alifafafuna.

Alisema kuwa tathmini hiyo imebaini kuwepo kwa ziada kubwa ya mazao ya chakula hasa mahindi katika mikoa inayolima mazao hayo kwa wingi

Iringa ikiwa ni miongoni.

Kutokana na tathmini hiyo ni dhahiri kuwa soko la ndani la nafaka

haliwezi kuhimili mahitaji yote ya wakulima kutokana na kuongezeka kwa

uzalishaji katika msimu wa mwaka 2013/2014.

"Kutokana na changamoto hiyo ya mazao mengi ya nafaka, serikali imewahimiza wafanyabiashara kuuza mazao yao popote ndani na nje ya nchi kwa kuzingatia Sheria na taratibu zilizopo," alisema mkuu wa mkoa huyo.

Aidha, kufanya hivyo kutamuwezesha mkulima kupata soko la uhakika la mazao yake. Kurahisisha utoaji wa vibali vya kusafirisha mazao nje ya nchi ambavyo wizara ya Kilimo, Chakula na Ushirika imekuwa ikitoa na kuratibu upatikanaji wake kwa mujibu wa Sheria ya Usalama wa Chakula sura ya 249 kama ilivyorekebishwa na Sheria ya Nafaka na Mazao

Mchanganyiko Na. 19 ya mwaka 2009.

Waziri mwenye dhamana ya Kilimo, Chakula na Ushirika amekasimisha kwa makatibu tawala wa mikoa yote ya Tanzania Bara majukumu ya utoaji wa vibali vya kusafirisha nafaka nje ya nchi katika maeneo yao.

Aidha, utaratibu huu wa kutoa vibali kupitia makatibu tawala wa mikoa utatumika kwa msimu huu wa ununuzi wa mwaka 2014/2015 tu.

Maombi ya kibali cha kusafirisha nje yanapaswa kubainisha mambo yafuatayo:-Taarifa kamili za muombaji (jina, anuani, nambari ya simu,nk), leseni ya biashara na namba ya utambulisho wa mlipa kodi (TIN) na nchi ambako nafaka hiyo inapelekwa pamoja na aina ya mazao na kiasi ambacho kinaombewa kibali.

Alisema kuwa lengo la kutoa vibali hivi ni kusaidia urahisi wa

usafirishaji wa mazao nje ya nchi na kuwezesha serikali kuwa na kumbukumbu sahihi za mazao yanayosafirishwa nje ya nchi.

Kwa upande wake, ofisa wa kilimo wa mkoa wa iringa Grace Macha alisema kuwa katika msimu wa mwaka 2013/2014 mkoa wa Iringa ilivuna tani laki tisa za mazao ya chakula ambao ni mahindi na mpunga.

Alisema kuwa mkoa wa una ziada ya chakula tani laki sita wakati mahitaji kwa mkoa ni tani laki tatu.

Iringa Region has commenced the issuance of permits to businesses of exporting food crops abroad which the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives has been supplying and coordinating their availability according to the Food Security Act.

Speaking to the press yesterday (MONDAY) at her office in Iringa Regional Commissioner (RC), Dr. Christine Ishengoma said due to large surpluses of food crops in Iringa and the country at large, the government has opened its borders to sell crops (maize and rice) those within and outside the country.

She said this is due to the reporting and evaluation performed on the production of food crops for agricultural season in 2013/2014.

In addition, this evaluation went compatible with earlier forecasts of the availability of food in the year 2014/2015, "the RC said.

She said that the evaluation finds the existence of a large surplus of food crops especially maize in the regions’ major producer of these products in bulk including Iringa .

From the review it is evident that in the grain market cannot withstand all the needs of farmers due to increased production in the 2013/2014 season of the year.

"Given the challenge to produce a lot of grain, the government urges dealers to sell their produce anywhere inside and outside the country to comply with laws and regulations," said the RC.

She said that by so doing farmers will be assured of market their products regarding to the permits simplifying exporting products abroad which the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives has been supplying and coordinating their availability according to the Food Security Act chapter 249 as amended by Act Cereals and Produce Mixed And. 19 of 2009.

The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives has mainstream responsibilities to regional administrative secretaries of mainland to delivery permits to transport grain abroad in their areas.

In addition, this procedure for accreditation through the regional secretaries ruling will apply to the purchase of this season of the year 2014/2015 only.

Application for export permit should specify the following elements: full-reported applicant (name, address, phone number, etc.), business licenses and identification number of the taxpayer (TIN) and countries where grain that is sent along with a variety crops and the extent to which permit.

She said that the purpose of this certification is to help ease the transportation of export crops to enable the government to have accurate records of products exported abroad.

For her part, the regional agricultural officer Grace Iringa Macha said that in the 2013/2014 season in Iringa region harvested nine hundred thousand tons of food products that are corn and rice.

She said that the region has excess food of six hundred thousand tons while the demand for the region is only three hundred thousand tons.