Tanzania Cotton Board: Cotton Seed, Pesticide Distribution Needs Monitoring to Stop Fraud
January 18, 2012 The Tanzania Cotton Board (TCB) is urging agriculture extension officers and other officials to monitor the distribution of cotton seeds and pesticides to farmers to help stop fraudulent practices, according to an article on AllAfrica.com.
TCB Western Zone Director Jones Bwahama told the Daily News that experience had shown that “lack of effective supervision, monitoring and proper guidance has led farmers to buy fake pesticides and seeds,” the website says.
“Some distributors sometimes colluded with middlemen to orchestrate fraud and cheating of farmers. This has been detrimental, not only to individual farmers, but to the cotton industry in general,” it quoted Bwahama as saying.
AllAfrica.com says there has been a public outcry that TCB and other authorities have not done enough to protect farmers from fraudulent practices that undermine cotton production and productivity in the country.
It describes the situation further:
In some areas, for instance, the farmers are reported to have bought fake seeds that have failed to germinate, while others have bought substandard pesticides. Mr Bwahama said there was need for the extension officers to have powers to inspect seeds and pesticides and provide expert guidance to farmers.
Source: AllAfrica.com; edited by Managing Editor Jaclyn Sindrich
GET THE NEWSLETTER TODAY!
