THE Minister of State in Prime Minister’s office responsible
for Investment and Privatization Dr. Mary Nagu has directed the Bagamoyo district
council officials to recognize land areas set apart for livestock keepers and
farmers in the district. Dr. Nagu issued a directive on Wednesday last week at
Makurunge village in Bagamoyo district, Coast region when she met leaders of
the Barbaig pastoral community members during her tour of the village aimed at inspecting
large scale sugar cane investment development project owned by Ago Eco-Energy Tanzania. The company
which has acquired 11,000 hectares of land for investment on sugar cane
production in Bagamoyo district since 2006 is yet to start its operation owing
to some reasons including the research activities the firm is still undergoing
on sugar cane production. Before inspecting the project, Minister Nagu took
time to exchange some ideas with some leaders of Barbaig pastoral community in
the district about the importance of land ownership and efforts being
undertaken by the government in order to help pastoral community members in the
country. While addressing them, Dr. Nagu directed Bagamoyo District
Administrative Secretary John Makale with whom she had accompanied in the tour
to ensure that, the district recognizes their land ownership. The Minister’s
call came amid complaint raised by one of the leaders, Iddi Kessy Gidashi who
told Dr. Nagu that, some district officials have been harassing them now and
then threatening them to vacate the area which they claim has been set apart
for investment. In response, Dr. Nagu who was speaking through an interpreter
urged them to make more efforts into getting their right of land ownership from
the district authorities in order to avoid any possible skirmishes. Either Dr.
Nagu thanked leaders of the Barbaig pastoral community for having cooperated
with the investors in the district when contacted before and agreed to submit
their own land for investment in a peaceful manner. She also told them of
various strategies the government is currently undertaking in order to defend
rights of land ownership to pastoralists who in some other parts of the country
have entered into serious confrontations with farmers and investors. Meanwhile
an overlook of the matter was cornered mid this week when former President
Benjamin William Mkapa said that, Tanzania ought to introduce title deeds for
its small scale farmers and villagers if it is keen on addressing the alarming conflicts
related to land use.
Livestock keepers in Tanzania faces shortage of land for pasturing their livestock
Mkapa was presenting a paper in Dar es Salaam last week during the opening of
a three-day national conference on ‘Land justice for sustainable peace’. His presentation
outlined nine core recommendations necessary to the promotion of sustainable land
development. On top of the list was a call for title deeds. “Lack of records is
an impediment…land without a title deed is in itself a source of dispute and
conflict” he stressed. The Bagamoyo based Ago Eco-Energy Project comprises a
total of approximately 11,000 ha of sugar cane plantations, where 7,800ha are on
the site of the project and approximately 3,000 ha of out grower land for which
the government owns 25 percent stake and the investor remains with 75 percent. Outlining
reasons for delays on the project to Dr. Nagu, the Vice-Chairman of the
investing firm, Jonathan Nkambala noted that, his company is still doing a
research work to look for suitable seedlings which have been planted for
testing on 500 hectare of land. He also noted that, another thing is the civil
case which some residents had filled in court demanding for right of payments
as compensation of their land taken by the investor which the minister
clarified that, the issue was being solved between the Bagamoyo district
council and the residents who had their land dispossessed in order to pave the
way for such a large scale investment. However, Nkambala further said that, at
the moment, the investors have so far spent about $ 50 million and once the
project is complete by 2016, it shall have spent a huge sum of approximately $
500 million to allow its full operation. On sugar production schedules, the
project will start producing 40,000 tones of sugar per year and after three
years’ time will increase to 250,000 tones. The land for the project has been
granted with water rights by the Wami/Ruvu River Basin Authority and a local
demonstration farm of 500 ha with drip irrigation has been operational since
2007 with excellent yields. A Communication and consulting officer with the
International Development Consultants Ltd, (IDC) a consulting firm Ibrahim
Bakari, said that, the project is also designed and prepared for a flexible
production of ethanol/sugar plus cogeneration of electric power. The project
developer Agro Eco-Energy Tanzania Ltd is in partnership with the
Government of Tanzania which is providing the land, the legal and the moral
framework for the project.
No comments:
Post a Comment