BID TO BOOST PESTICIDE PRODUCTION AS $16m PLANT UNVEILED

LOCAL production of pesticides got a boost over the weekend  when construction of a $16million plant to manufacture the agro chemicals was unveiled.

The factory by a local investor Bajuta International (Tanzania) Limited is set for completion by December this year and production commencing next year.

When completed, it will produce over 4.5 million litres of liquid pesticides a year. Currently, Tanzania imports about one million litres.

"The  total investment is $16million being loans from the local banks", affirmed Gesso Bajuta, the managing director of the Arusha-based firm.

minister for Agriculture Prof. Adolf Mkenda

He told the minister for Agriculture Prof. Adolf Mkenda that the initiative was among the company's  drive to reach out to the farmers and improve agricultural and livestock production.

The agro-vet firm has lately been issuing input loans to the farmers and the livestock keepers through its branches in Arusha, Mbeya, Dar es Salaam, Morogoro and Mwanza.

It was established in 1994 mainly to sell veterinary drugs but later embarked on selling agricultural inputs through its networks of shops in the northern regions.

Input loans have mainly been directed to maize,tobacco, cashewnuts, sugar cane and cotton farmers across the country.

According to Mr. Bajuta,, the company extended loans for inputs and pesticides worth Sh.37.8billion between 2017 and last year to the cotton growers.

During the same period, inputs worth Sh. 23.4billion were extended to cashewnut farmers, he said.

"Maize producers are also enjoying the same but we are having problems in getting back our loans due to the vagaries of weather", he pointed out.

He said although the company was ready to give out inputs to help maize farmers improve production, there was no guarantee they could pay back.

"We give inputs but there are times they could not produce anything. They are too dependent on rain fed agriculture.. In this case, we are the risk takers.

"When the farmers could not harvest anything, we missed our cash. We get into huge loss and cannot pay back loans from the banks", he pointed out.

However, Mr. Bajuta said with the production of pesticides at the plant commencing in 2022 "pesticides would be readily available at  affordable prices".

Prof. Mkenda said the government would support investors in pesticide manufacturing, saying the country spent millions of dollars in importation of the agro chemicals.

Pesticides are a range of  substances that are meant to control pests. However, 80 per cent of these are herbicides used for plant and crop protection.