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Cane outgrowers lose 2bn/- through farm burning
2008-02-12 09:57:21
By Hannah Mwandoloma
Farmers are reported to have set on fire thousands of tonnes of sugarcane in Kilombero and Mtibwa farms in the last harvesting season between May last year and January this year, occassioning a loss of 2bn/-.
In an interview with `The Guardian` yesterday, the Executive Director of Tanzania Sugarcane Growers Association (TASGA), Chais Nikokwe, said that 230,000 tonnes of sugarcane were destroyed by fire during the period under review.
Nikokwe said out of the destroyed lot, 90,000 tonnes were yet to be harvested, because the volume of the produce was too large compared to the plants` manufacturing capacity per day.
``Usually, before harvesting sugarcane, we burn the needed lot and take it straight to the factory,`` he said.
Nikokwe said that fire incidents were caused by farmers\' impatience over waiting too long for their harvesting period.
``Some farmers get angry when they see harvesting taking place in the neighbouring farms, but farmers also decide to set on fire their farms in order to beat the rain season,`` he said.
``When you are about to harvest and the rain falls, the possibility of your sugarcane to loose quality is high.
This is one of the reasons that compels farmers to embark on unwise and irrational decisions,`` the official noted.
Nikokwe said that apart from setting fire on their farms, some people threaten to destroy factory`s and neighbours` farms out of sheer hatred and lack of employment.
``It`s possible for an idle labourer to organise fire to compel authorities to employ them for emergency harvesting,`` he said.
He urged farmers to stop unbecoming behaviours and try to practise block-farming for protection of their farms, in order to manage fire accidents.
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