PM: There is a slight increase on food crop prices

Despite of the looming famine exacerbated by shortage of rains in some parts in the country, there has been a slight increase on food prices which has occurred in some regions in the country, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda has said. The Premier was highlighting food situation of the last quarter of the year 2013 in the country to Members of Parliament on Saturday last week in Dodoma during his closing address speech of the 14^th Parliamentary session which lasted for three weeks of the 15 working days. In his speech, he said that, despite of such increase, food situation in the country is not so bad, may be in some areas which have received bad harvests of food crops. The Premier noted that, the situation has caused the average food prices for rice and maize in most selling local markets in the country to slightly increase but not in less affordable rates. He noted that, the national maize price has increased from Sh. 526.86 a kilogram in October to Sh. 538.28 a kilogram in November 2013. This is an increase of 6 percent. On rice prices the Premier noted that, the national average price for this commodity has increased from Sh. 1,188.60 for a kilogram to Sh. 1,191.10 within the same trading period. This is an increase of 3 percent. Despite of slight increase in prices, still the current price rates of other food crops such as beans, potatoes and others could be fetched at a lower and affordable price rates to low income people, in comparison with last year’s trading period of between October and November of such food crops. In view of the situation whose trend looks not so bad, Premier Pinda has directed Regional Commissioners in the country whose regions have experienced abundant crop harvests to inform farmers in such regions to reserve enough food in future use for their families. He has also issued a directive that, they should sell the surplus in local market so as to reduce the inflating food prices as the situation in some towns and cities in the country is unpredictable. The Premier has also directed the district council’s executives to make sure that they have an overall control of the sale of food crops from farmers in their areas in a bid to prevent unscrupulous traders who might cause high inflation which might result into food shortages. In this way however, the Premier noted that, with such effective measures if taken, would ensure the availability of food in abundance in most parts in the country. Evaluations on food and nutrition which was done between October and November 2013 in areas already faced by food insecurity in the country has shown that, the total number of 828,063 citizens are faced with acute food shortages in the country, and are in need of about 23,312 tones of food as up to February 2014. Either between July and November 2013 the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) has set aside a total of 16,119 tones of food to be distributed to respective various district councils which are in need of such food in the country. Up to 16^th December this year, out of this, a total of 13, 716 tones of such food had already been taken by almost all district councils in the country, only the remaining 2,402 tones of food stock which are not yet taken by 5 district councils namely Mwanga, Babati, Igunga, Mpwapwa and Manyoni. Premier Pinda has called upon the executives of the authorities concerned of the said district councils to make sure that, they collect their allocated tones of food for their people within their jurisdiction by 15^th January 2014. Or else the Premier has cautioned, legal actions would be taken against any who shall have defied the order. Otherwise, the Premier noted that the government has reiterated its commitment to continue doing all it can in order to ensure the availability of food in various districts which seems to be facing food insecurity.