NEWS
Tanzania
pays US $434,687 to verified cashew farmers
T
he Tanzanian government has
disbursed US $434,687 to
verified cashew farmers. The
Agriculture minister Japhet Hasunga
said that at least 2,168 cashew
farmers from 35 verified primary
societies have so far been paid their
cash.
Mr Hasunga made the comments
when addressing journalists about
the progress made in buying cashews
from farmers under an operation run
by the Tanzania People’s Defence
Force (TPDF). He further added that
the payment process was still going
on in different parts including Tunduru
District in Ruvuma Region. This, he
said, is towards ensuring that farmers
get what is rightfully theirs.
The minister also reassured Mtwara
residents, who were carrying cashews,
that their jobs were secured and
that they should not worry about the
coming of TPDF soldiers.
He explained that among the duties to
be carried out the TPDF is overseeing
the process of taking cashews from
main cooperative societies into
warehouses. He however added that
the work of unloading and carrying the
cashews into warehouses would strictly
be carried out by civilians.
Meanwhile, earlier on last week at
least 20 tonnes of cashews, which
were in the Olam warehouse, were
impounded while being ferried illegally
to the Mnyawi Primary Society.
Following this, the minister vowed
that no cashews from outside the
country would be given a chance in
the country. This, he said, is because
the market was already saturated as
it is. The minister warned that anyone
caught smuggling in cashews would
be faced with legal action.
TPDF’s Lieutenant General
Mohammed, who was also present at
the press conference said he went to
Lindi Region for inspection purposes.
He further added that he would look
into the various cashew processing
plants to see how his force would
implement the operation.
KMAP’s animal
husbandry initiative
boosts aquaculture
in Kenya
T
he Kenya Market-led Aquaculture
Program (KMAP) has introduced
an initiative involving animal
husbandry that is set to boost
aquaculture in Kenya. KMAP, which
runs from 2016-2019, is a program by
Farm Africa, a charity organization. It
covers 14 counties in Kenya’s central
and Lake Victoria regions.
The program serves to provide training
on aquaculture. This has since enabled
the farmers to to harness the sector’s
opportunities. In addition to the
training, KMAP also provides valuable
links to farmers.
2 |November - December 2018
Demand for fish in Kenya is on the
rise courtesy of fast population growth
of around 3% on yearly basis and
increased awareness of the nutritional
value of fish. Unfortunately, the
country’s fish production is heavily
reliant on wild fish caught in its lakes
whose stocks are sharply declining.
Furthermore, earlier on this year, the
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics
reported that over the last five years
fish landed, has declined from over
163,000 tons in 2013 to 135,000
tons last year. This has since led
to scarcity and high costs. This is
despite the country having over 1.14m
hectares of land ideal for aquaculture
as per the 2017 Aquaculture Report
of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries
Research Institute (KMFRI).
Teddy Nyanapa explains that the
program encompasses all players in
the fish value chain. These include
farmers, feed manufacturers and fish
traders. He further added that apart
from fish husbandry practices, farmers
are also trained on book keeping and
financial matters. They have enlisted
some 1,100 farmers so far.