Maize |
Barely three days
after Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa issued a directive banning export
of food crops, the level of defiance among farmers and traders has
remained astonishingly high as police in Kilimanjaro had, by yesterday,
seized at least 104 trucks smuggling maize into neighboring Kenya.
And, this at a time
when the government has reiterated that the ban on cereal exports
remains intact and that whoever defies it would face the music.
But reports
reaching us yesterday from Kilimanjaro showed that despite
the ban issued by the Premier on Monday during an Eid Baraza, many
traders and truck drivers are said to have contravened it -- and now
find themselves in trouble.
Still worse, it's
for the very crop - maize -- that Premier insisted that even if permits
are issued, the crop should be processed before export, that traders
have allegedly carried on 'exporting' through illegal Rombo district
border posts.
Yesterday,
Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner Ms Anna Mghwira told reporters that
transportation business was now carried out at night. The 'Daily News'
has learnt that even after 103 trucks were seized and more than 100
people detained, some went along last Wednesday night and were in line
to smuggle out of the country some 100 bags of maize that were packed in
a Scania truck.
The Scania was
seized at the small township of Himo after police officers on patrol
became suspicious. Some traders, drivers and their assistants were
arrested and then detained at different police stations across
Kilimanjaro region, even as detectives carried on grilling tasks for the
suspects before decisions were made to issue any statement on the
matter.
RC Mghwira
reiterated what the PM had said during Eid-el-Fitr Baraza on Monday
morning, that there were collusions between traders and some police
officers in the maize export racket, with Ms Mghwira saying the region
had run surpluses in excess of 62,000 tons in grains.
However, she noted
that Rombo district wasn't facing any food shortage; so there was no
point for trucks to be carrying such huge amount of grains to the
district.
In Dodoma
yesterday, Premier Majaliwa told Parliament that many parts of the
country did not have good harvests last year and that allowing food
exports was a risky business.
"I said this during
Eid (celebrations) in Kilimanjaro ... that we still need food in our
country because some regions experienced drought and poor production
during the last season. Therefore it is our responsibility as a
government to maintain our stand by banning food exports," he said.
He added that those
who wish to export food must go through procedures that include
obtaining a special permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock
and Fisheries.
"... those who want
to export food will not be allowed to sell cereals, they will be
required to seek for a special permit from the Ministry of Agriculture,
Livestock and Fisheries; even then, they will still have to 'export
flour' instead of whole maize," the Premier stressed.
Premier Majaliwa
gave kudos to Kilimanjaro RC, Ms Anna Mghwira for standing firm and
stopping exportation of food from the country. "Kilimanjaro RC is doing a
great job, so far a lot of trucks have been seized in the region," he
said.
The premier added
that the trucks that were seized would remain at police stations while
the maize consignment is preserved at the National Food Reserve Agency
(NFRA).
He asked the public
to support the government by reporting any movements of people who try
to smuggle food. "We still need food in this country, we must do
everything within our powers to preserve food," he said.
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