THE National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) in Songea,Ruvuma Region has purchased over 72,000 tonnes of maize from farmers during the 2024/2025 agricultural season.

Zenobius Kahere, the manager of NFRA in Songea, said that the maize was collected through 21 designated collection points across seven districts of the region, with the exception of Tunduru District, where most residents are engaged in cashew farming.

Kahere highlighted that Ruvuma is one of the regions designated as a national food reserve due to its ability to produce maize and other food and cash crops. At times, NFRA also supplies other regions facing food shortages within the country.

"We opened collection points in seven of our eight districts, and we were able to collect over 72,000 tonnes of maize. By November, these points were closed, and the current work involves transporting the maize from the collection points to various warehouses for storage," Kahere said.

He also noted that maize farmers were satisfied with the government-set price of   700/- per kilogram, particularly when compared to the lower prices offered by private buyers, who were purchasing maize at prices ranging from 300/- to 450/- per kilogram.

However, Kahere pointed out a significant challenge regarding the quality of maize brought to the market by farmers from various areas, as it did not meet NFRA’s standards.

"This issue forced farmers to spend considerable time at the collection points to clean and select the maize to meet the required quality before it could be accepted and weighed," he explained.

To address this challenge, Kahere revealed that for the 2025/2026 farming season, NFRA, in collaboration with various stakeholders, plans to educate farmers on essential practices, such as the use of quality seeds and adherence to guidelines from planting through to harvesting.

According to Kahere, this initiative will help farmers produce maize that meets the required standards, thus reducing losses, cleaning costs, and time spent at collection points.

He encouraged farmers to take advice from agricultural extension officers and other experts as they prepare for the upcoming farming season, ensuring they produce a successful, marketable harvest.

"Farmers should not hesitate to seek guidance from extension officers in their areas on modern farming techniques, rather than continuing to rely on traditional methods," Kahere emphasised.

During a seven-day visit to Ruvuma, President Samia Suluhu Hassan congratulated farmers for their hard work in producing abundant crops, contributing significantly to food security in Tanzania.

She urged farmers to avoid selling their maize to middlemen at lower prices, instead encouraging them to sell at the government-set price of 700/- per kilogramme.