Mugo"The Great";584472 said:
Zawadi soma sehemu ya article iliyokuwa presented kwenye panel ya WHO-Durban, the devil is in the red font:-
African farmers turn backs on tobacco Kerry Cullinan
November 21 2008 at 09:55AM
Most African farmers grow tobacco because they are poor and lack alternative ways to earn a living, but with encouragement, many Tanzanian farmers are giving the killer crop the cold-shoulder.
This is according to Lutgard Kagaruki, from the Tanzania Tobacco Control Forum, who addressed a panel at the World Health Organisation's tobacco control conference in Durban this week.
Tanzania is the second biggest grower of tobacco in Africa after Malawi, but many tobacco farmers were "enslaved in permanent debt to the tobacco companies" and wanted to get out, said Kagaruki.
"The tobacco companies give subsidies and loans for them to buy fertiliser, chemicals (pesticides) and seed.
"But then they under-grade the crops and set low prices. The farmers can't repay the loans and find themselves enslaved in permanent debt bondage," said Kagaruki.
The 80 000 tobacco farmers in Tanzania earned an estimated US$1 (R10) a day, she added.
In addition, three-quarters of the farmers smoked and suffered from the respiratory sicknesses and cancer associated with smoking.
The TTCF started to organise among tobacco farmers in the Namtambo district, encouraging them rather to grow food by pointing out that at least they could eat their crops when they faced hard times.
"In October 2006 there were 22 300 tobacco farmers in the district, but a year later there were only 6 333," said Kagaruki.
"They have started growing simsim (sesame seeds) and sunflowers and groundnuts, and they are very happy. They call me on my cellphone and tell me how well they are doing," she added.
While tobacco is Tanzania's second biggest foreign exchange earner, bringing about $55,5-million into the country in 2003/4, one of the country's cancer institutes, the Ocean Road Cancer Institute, reported spending $30-million treating smoking-related cancers during the same period.
("This article was originally published on page 5 of The Star on November 21, 2008 ")
Zawadi, ukitaka kujua usanii wa JK na serikali yake soma paragraph hii hapa chini ambayo nimeitoa kwenye Daily News ya 16 Sept 2009 ikielezea kauli ya Mkuu wa wilaya ya Serengeti:
"He described the report as misleading, calling farmers to continue co-operating with the Morogoro-based tobacco firm, in developing tobacco growing in the district. He warned farmers against smuggling tobacco to the neighbouring Kenya via 'panya' routes, saying that those who would be caught doing so will be taken to task"
Unafikiri kwanini Wakulima wanauza Tumbaku yao Kenya?? Au wakulima wa Kahawa Kalinzi wanauza Kahawa yao Burundi hata kama serikali inakataza? Au Karafuu inauzwa Kenya kinyemela??
My take:
2010 Campaign zimeanza rasmi lakini zamu hii muungwana atakuwa na hali ngumu sana labda kitakachomsaidia ni TUME YA UCHAGUZI kwa kuwa ni yake na Dola (polisi). Kinachowatesa wakulima wengi ni ukosefu wa elimu hivyo wanaangalia gross income badala ya net profit.
Sehemu kubwa ya maelezo yako na hiyo ripoti, ina ukweli. Napenda kusisitiza kwamba matatizo katika sekta kilimo ni mengi na hakuna jinsi nyingine ni kuyashughulikia tu.
Kwanza ningependa kuwapongeza wakulima wa Tumbaku kwa kufikia lengo la Milenium, yaani kupata 1$ kwa siku (1300 sh kwa siku). Si nyingi sana lakini ni ahueni. Hata hivyo, binafsi kwa kujua ugumu wa kilimo cha Tumbaku wanatakiwa kupata zaidi ya hapo. Na hayo yote yanashughulikiwa kikamilifu. Safari ni ndefu , lakini la muhimu i kuanza. Na JK ameivalia njuga.
Hiyo ripoti ni ya 2003/2004, nimeifurahia sana. Sasa nakupa kazi moja, yaangalie hayo matatizo yaliyokuwemo katika hiyo ripoti na ulinganishee na hali halisi hii leo. Ukweli utgundua kuwa 50% ya matatizo hayo yametatuliwa. Sitaandika kirefu sana, lakini nitajaribu kukupa picha tu jinsi serikali ilvyokuwa karibu na wananchi katika kutafuta ufumbuzi wa kudumu wa matatizo yao. Napenda ikumbukwe kuwa haya makampuni(kwa mfano DEMON) hayana muda mrefu, yana takriban miaka 15. Na wawekezaji kama ujuavyo wanatusaidia, lakini ni wezi vile vile. Hivyo wanahitaji kubanwa. Ili uwabane ni lazima ufahamu mianya yao ya wizi, na hili lahitaji muda, elimu na uzoefu nao.
Hapa nitakuorodheshea baadhi ya utatuzi wa matatizo yaliyojitokeza: Zao la tumbaku TZ, limeendeshwa katika hali ya monopoly sana. Mkulima hakuwa na uchaguzi wa kumuuzia mnunuzi mwingine zaidi ya wale waliowakopesha vifaa. Serikali imewaamuru kutoa hiyo monopoly. Vipi watafanya hivyo? Kwanza hayo mashirika yatalipwa madeni yao yote waliokuwa wanawadai wananchi. Halafu suala la ukopeshaji wa pembejeo litachukuliwa na serikali. Halafu makampuni yaliyopo, pamoja na makampuni mengine yatakaribishwa katika ununuzi wa tumbaku. Na mwananchi atachagua mwenyewe kuuza tumbaku yake kwa kampuni itayotoa bei nzuri zaidi. Hilo litaanza mwakani na ni habari nzuru kwa wakulima.
Kuhusu Grades, hilo nalo ni tatizo. Wakati mwingine inafikiriwa kuwa makampuni yanfanya mipango na maklasifaya kuweka grade ya chini, pamoja na kuwa tumbaku ina grade ya juu. Wenye makampuni wanadai kuwa , wananchi wangeweza kupata Grade nzuri kama wangeelimishwa. Katika eneo hili kuna utata mwingi. Serikali inampango ufuatao katika kutatua hili.
1. Katika kila kijiji kuwafundisha angalau watu wawili ili wawe kama klasifaya wa wananchi. Pindi klasifaya wa kampuni anaposema hii ni grade I, basi ni lazima klasifaya wa kijiji naye aweke saini, kuwa naye anakubaliana na mchakato huo.
2. Kuwaelimisha wakulima ili wafahamu ni vipi wanaweza kupata grade bora zaidi
Tatizo jingine ulilolisema ni juu ya utoroshwaji wa zao hilo, na kuuzwa Kenya na Uganda. Ukweli mimi binafsi hapa sijaielewa serikali hata kidogo kwa kutokumpa uhuru mkulima kuuza zao lake pale atakapo. Na hii si tu kwa zao la tumbaku, bali ni mazao yote. Tupo kwenye ulimwengu wa utandawazi, wakati ambapo mwenye bidhaa yu huru kuuza bidhaa zake kwa yeyote amtakaye na popote atakapo hata nchi za nje. Ina kuwaje leo kumbana mkulima, wakati huo huo muuza pembejeo yupo huru. Kama mkulima amepata bei nzuri Kenya, muache akauze bidhaa zake huko. Katika hili sina mjadala kabisa, na nimelipigia kelele sana. Na nimediriki hata kumuandikia barua waziri wa kilimo/biashara na hata Rais. Kwa bahati mbaya sijajibiwa. Naomba tuungane sote, na tuliombe Bunge letu liondoe sheria hiyo. Serikali ya Kikwete ni yenye kusikiliza wananchi, hivyo tuendelee kuishinyikiza serikali kwani hili lina mantiki.
Ninamaliza kwa kusema, ninaimani kubwa na serikali ya Kikwete kwa vile inasikiliza sana wananchi. Hata wengine wakaipa doa kuwa ni Serikali dhaifu. Eti dhambi yake ni kusikiliza matakwa ya wananchi toaka Pemba mpaka Mbeya, Ruvuma mpaka Mwanza, Waislam mpaka Wakristo, walala hoi mpaka Matajiri na Wawekezaji mpaka Magabachori. Pamoja tutashinda.
N.B Muundo wowote ule wa uchumi usowashirikisha wananchi, utafeli.