THE National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) plans to purchase upwards of 40, 000 tonnes of maize grains from farmers in the northern zone in the next harvesting season during fiscal 2024/25.

Andrew Kanyika, the NFRA northern zone manager, said in an interview here yesterday that so far the branch has distributed 23,000 tonnes of maize over a period of three years, affirming that the grain was marketed at reasonable prices to residents of Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Manyara.

The grain was marketed in response to prevailing scarcity, as part of the agency’s tasks of ensuring food adequacy, that people get enough food at reasonable prices, he said.

The branch has also purchased 36,000 tonnes of maize grains from farmers, he said, pointing at budget measures during the past three years enabling NFRA to buy enough maize. This assures farmers reliable markets for their produce, he stated.

Up to June 2024 the branch had succeeded in providing food assistance to families affected by natural disasters within the zone, delivering at least 14 tonnes of maize for residents of Katesh in Hanang District, Manyara Region who were victims of a massive mudslide.

A total of 27 tonnes was distributed in Same District, Kilimanjaro Region, he said, noting that Hai District received 23 tonnes, Moshi District 20 tonnes  and Siha District four tonnes, all distributed free of charge.

He said that maize farmers in the three regions need to market their produce at NFRA, noting that President Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed the agency to purchase grain at more attractive prices. The branch expects to lift its purchasing price to 700/- per kilo, from 650/- earlier.

The branch has set up five centers for coordinating grain purchasing as NFRA seeks to buy maize from farmers by ensuring the produce meets recommended standards, he specified.

The branch management was at the fore to ensure that enough food is purchased and properly reserved, ready and equipped to assist local communities in times of need, while ensuring for food security in the vast zone and the country in general.

Currently, NFRA operates 72 purchasing points across eight regions, namely Dodoma, Dar es Salaam at Kipawa, Njombe at Makambako, Songwe, Rukwa at Sumbawanga, Arusha at Babati, Shinyanga and Songea.

The second tier of grain purchasing involves grain delivered in quantities of 2,000 tonnes or more from large-scale traders, while the third tier includes buying from cooperative societies where farmers aggregate their produce, he added.