Tanzania bans Kenyans from its onion farms

[nomasana]

Tanzania has banned Kenyan dealers from buying onions at the farm gate in the Lake Eyasi basin.

The ban which was imposed by local authorities also blocks farmers from signing any contract for farm gate onion sales but demands that they take their onions to Mang’ola market.

Lake Eyasi division executive officer Laanyuni ole Supuk told The EastAfrican that the ban is effective July 1.

According to Mr Supuk, Kenyan traders are also required to pass through immigration department in Arusha and Karatu before going to Mang’ola market.

“Legal action will be taken against any dealer or grower who contravenes the ban,” he said.

Onion buyers from Kenya are reported to have formed a cartel that ensures farm gate buying prices of local onions are kept low.

Mang’ola Onions Sacco secretary general Ramadhan Sunuku said Kenyan onion traders have formed a tight network complete with spying agents in a bid to manipulate farmers.

Mr Sunuku said that as soon as the local farmers harvest their crop, the Kenyan buyers alert one another.

“They control the onion market as they set the price at their will,” he said adding that they normally offer them the lowest price possible irrespective of the quality of the onions.

The onion benchmark price was supposed to be $114 per bag in the local markets, but the Kenyan dealers are only offering between $46 and $50 per bag.

The onion is a leading cash crop in the Lake Eyasi fertile delta of Karatu district, 200km west of Arusha, earning farmers a $2.7 million per annum.

The 1,000 sq km basin accounts for third of East Africa’s Bombay Red and Red Crole onions.

Lake Eyasi basin onion yields have swelled from 24,160 tonnes in 2003 to some 30,900 and 43,000 tonnes in 2004 and 2005 respectively.

In 2006, the basin produced 75,600 tonnes. In 2007 the production rose to 86,464 tonnes, while 97,328 and 90,789 tonnes were produced in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

 

[Wacha1]

Khe khe kumbe hata vitunguu hawana, hawa manyang'au lazima washikishwe adabu kama hawana mpunga wa kununua kwa bei ambayo Watanzania wanaitaka waende wakalime kwao. Wanataka Watanzania wawafanyie kazi then wao wanapata kwa dezo - I@d&iots%. Hizi stupid cartels lazima zishughulikiwe inavyopaswa.

 

[nomasana]

kenyans gotta be the most ruthless beings in the world!!!! loool. yaani they have spies to find out who has harvested and then the all the brokers go to the farm and make offer below the markest prices and then bring the same onions to tanzanian and kenyan markets and sell them at a much higher price.

sad thing is for tanzanians is that they cant keep kenyans away

wakenya ni certified machizi. we will find a way to play the system wherever it might be!!

 

[Geza Ulole]

Tanzania has banned Kenyan dealers from buying onions at the farm gate in the Lake Eyasi basin.

The ban which was imposed by local authorities also blocks farmers from signing any contract for farm gate onion sales but demands that they take their onions to Mang'ola market.

Lake Eyasi division executive officer Laanyuni ole Supuk told The EastAfrican that the ban is effective July 1.

According to Mr Supuk, Kenyan traders are also required to pass through immigration department in Arusha and Karatu before going to Mang'ola market.

"Legal action will be taken against any dealer or grower who contravenes the ban," he said.

Onion buyers from Kenya are reported to have formed a cartel that ensures farm gate buying prices of local onions are kept low.

Mang'ola Onions Sacco secretary general Ramadhan Sunuku said Kenyan onion traders have formed a tight network complete with spying agents in a bid to manipulate farmers.

Mr Sunuku said that as soon as the local farmers harvest their crop, the Kenyan buyers alert one another.

"They control the onion market as they set the price at their will," he said adding that they normally offer them the lowest price possible irrespective of the quality of the onions.

The onion benchmark price was supposed to be $114 per bag in the local markets, but the Kenyan dealers are only offering between $46 and $50 per bag.

The onion is a leading cash crop in the Lake Eyasi fertile delta of Karatu district, 200km west of Arusha, earning farmers a $2.7 million per annum.

The 1,000 sq km basin accounts for third of East Africa's Bombay Red and Red Crole onions.

Lake Eyasi basin onion yields have swelled from 24,160 tonnes in 2003 to some 30,900 and 43,000 tonnes in 2004 and 2005 respectively.

In 2006, the basin produced 75,600 tonnes. In 2007 the production rose to 86,464 tonnes, while 97,328 and 90,789 tonnes were produced in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

so what's your opinion Nomasana? mnaonewa?

 

[nomasana]

check post #3

 

[Geza Ulole]

kenyans gotta be the most ruthless beings in the world!!!! loool. yaani they have spies to find out who has harvested and then the all the brokers go to the farm and make offer below the markest prices and then bring the same onions to tanzanian and kenyan markets and sell them at a much higher price.

sad thing is for tanzanians is that they cant keep kenyans away

wakenya ni certified machizi. we will find a way to play the system wherever it might be!!

lets see now how you will manouvre the obstacle meanwhile the onions are about to be exported to the EU soon!

 

[Anfaal]

lets see now how you will manouvre the obstacle meanwhile the onions are about to be exported to the EU soon!

Its amazing? Why cannt the famers collude in their pricing? Sending them to another market, is that better option? How much can they fetch in the absence of Kenyans? Guys, lets be reastic, I dont see the point here why limiting Kenyan traders to buy onions from our farmers. Tujifunze biashara. Wakenya wakiondoka na vitunguu vikaoza. Tuwafundishe wakulima kunegotiate bei na sio kufukuza wanunuzi. In the free market, demand and supply will always dectate pricing!!!

 

[Abdulhalim]

Nimesikia ni Karatu sio? Hii sio constituency ya Dr.Slaa hii??

AT least halmashauri imeona umuhimu wa kuingilia kati na kuthubutu. System zetu za ufanyaji baishara bado zipo chini sana, ni aibu mpaka biashara ya level ya chini inafanywa na wageni, bado nashindwa kuelewa ni wajibu wa nani haswa ku-link masoko na hawa wakulima maskini? Je tuwaache waendelee kudhulumiwa na kunyonywa na kila mtu? Je umaskini utaondoka kwa staili hii?? Enzi hii ya technology ambapo info is one click away, bado tunahangaisha wakulima wetu kwa kukosa masoko? Tunawaambia kilimo kwanza bila ya kueka mikakati mizuri ya masoko ili wafaidike, huu si ndio ulimbukeni kama sio upumbavu??

 

[Abdulhalim]

Its amazing? Why cannt the famers collude in their pricing? Sending them to another market, is that better option? How much can they fetch in the absence of Kenyans? Guys, lets be reastic, I dont see the point here why limiting Kenyan traders to buy onions from our farmers. Tujifunze biashara. Wakenya wakiondoka na vitunguu vikaoza. Tuwafundishe wakulima kunegotiate bei na sio kufukuza wanunuzi. In the free market, demand and supply will always dectate pricing!!!

Ndugu yangu nadhani hujaishi kijijini ukaona hali halisi.

Most of the farmers are powerless, uneducated na wamechoka mbaya. Huwezi ukazungumzia wafanye collusion wakati wapo isolated kila mmoja na lwake, na wanakuwa manipulated na hawa majambazi wanaojiita madalali au wafanyabiashara, hawa ni wauaji period. Kazi ya ukulima waifanye wengine halafu wao wananunua kwa less than 50% ya bei halisi. Hata wangekuwa ni waTz hawa si watu wa kufumbiwa macho na kubembelezwa, hawa ni mafisadi na wanyonyaji wakubwa na kwa maana hiyo basi umaskini wa wakulima wetu hauwezi kwisha.

 

[The Quonquerer]

Another testimony why you need to be careful when dealing with a Nyang'au. Lakini hata wahindi wanatufanyia hivyo, hayajaanza leo, suala ni wakulima wenyewe kuelemishwa wakaweza kune-gotiate with a clout. Si Karatu tu, hata kwenye korosho huko kusini.

 

[RealDeal]

If indeed the local authorities aim is to ensure that the local farmers benefit, then i don't think that banning kenyans is the best way forward. the best thing to do is get involved in the process and implement policies that ensure that local farmers are not deprived of their rights.

 

[The Quonquerer]

kenyans gotta be the most ruthless beings in the world!!!! loool. yaani they have spies to find out who has harvested and then the all the brokers go to the farm and make offer below the markest prices and then bring the same onions to tanzanian and kenyan markets and sell them at a much higher price.

sad thing is for tanzanians is that they cant keep kenyans away

wakenya ni certified machizi. we will find a way to play the system wherever it might be!!

Which system are you playing with? Your strategies aren't lasting. Nyie ni matapeli at your best.

 

[Bantugbro]

The only solution is to export the Onions to the European markets just like the way we have started to export flowers. Those Matapeli they have to go to Europe and buy them from there if they want....

 

[bona]

serikali ndio wa kulaumiwa kwenye issue ii, kenyans happen to be clever to exploit the cheap product and make a fortune out of it kwa kuuza na kupata super profit who wouldnt? njia pekee ni kwa serikali kwanza kuwaandalia awa wakulima soko reliable ili hawa wakenya na wengine for that matter wakanunue, na serikali i set price mbona kwenye korosho wameanza kuwabana wahindi wanyonyaji sasa ivi wanaenda sawa, serikali i set regulatory body kwani wakulima sio wajinga, little is better than nothing, kwani kama hana pa kuuza pengine atauza tu hata kwa bei ya kutupa kuliko vimuozee au? nchi nzima inaongoza kumnyonya kwani akisema apakie kwenye fuso alete kariakoo atajuta kwa nini alithubutu, ataanza na matrafiki njiani hadi madalali wa kariakoo, akikumbuka yote hayo mkulima anaona bora wamalizane shambani na mnunuzi tu hata kwa bei ndogo! nchi nzima inasubiri kumnyonya mkulima mmoja!

 

[Smatta]

The only solution is to export the Onions to the European markets just like the way we have started to export flowers. Those Matapeli they have to go to Europe and buy them from there if they want....

In business there will ALWAYS be brokers, especially if the producers are poor or illiterate (no pun intended) or when the gvt is not making initiatives to help farmers, the brokers are usually the bridge between the producers and consumers, thats where the Kenyan broker fall in, with his easy access of money (Thanks to financial institutions in Kenya), unexploited ventures and wit, they charm their way into the stores of the Tanzanian farmers and get the products for cheap through trickery and cartels.

What am trying to say is that the broker is not the devil, even if you ban the Kenyan brokers there will always be people who are ready to fill the void left by the Kenyans.. you cant tell me that the Kenyans were working alone deep in the heart of Tanzania without the help of some locals, this is not a one mans affair, there must be someone who introduces the brokers to the farmers and also contributes in setting the price, its obvious. what the government has done is simply changing the brokers, what will happen is the cash deprived Tanzanian broker will be used by the moneyed Kenyans to buy the produce for them at an agreed price, yes the Kenyans wont get as much as they used to, but eventually they will have their hand in setting the price.

No am just saying.

 

[The Quonquerer]

In business there will ALWAYS be brokers, especially if the producers are poor or illiterate (no pun intended) or when the gvt is not making initiatives to help farmers, the brokers are usually the bridge between the producers and consumers, thats where the Kenyan broker fall in, with his easy access of money (Thanks to financial institutions in Kenya), unexploited ventures and wit, they charm their way into the stores of the Tanzanian farmers and get the products for cheap through trickery and cartels.

What am trying to say is that the broker is not the devil, even if you ban the Kenyan brokers there will always be people who are ready to fill the void left by the Kenyans.. you cant tell me that the Kenyans were working alone deep in the heart of Tanzania without the help of some locals, this is not a one mans affair, there must be someone who introduces the brokers to the farmers and also contributes in setting the price, its obvious. what the government has done is simply changing the brokers, what will happen is the cash deprived Tanzanian broker will be used by the moneyed Kenyans to buy the produce for them at an agreed price, yes the Kenyans wont get as much as they used to, but eventually they will have their hand in setting the price.

No am just saying.

Smatta, so you mean there are no financial nstitutions in Tanzania where Tanzanians can get moneyed?

 

[Smatta]

Smatta, so you mean there are no financial nstitutions in Tanzania where Tanzanians can get moneyed?

Thats what you saw in that whole paragraph???? To tell you the truth its easier for a person in Kenya to access money from financial institutions compared to anywhere in sub saharan Africa. Dont be petty son, look at the bigger picture.

 

[Wacha1]

Thats what you saw in that whole paragraph???? To tell you the truth its easier for a person in Kenya to access money from financial institutions compared to anywhere in sub saharan Africa. Dont be petty son, look at the bigger picture.

Sub sahara anayoijua ni nchi moja grow up kimada. Kuna nchi ziko mbali sana wakati bado unaendelea kuota. yaani Kenya ni kupendelewa kwa sababu ya kuwaridhisha mabwana zao ardhi.

 

[Abdulhalim]

Huu ni mfano hai wa 'ubepari uchwara'. Ubepari unaruhusu bwenyenye mmoja avune jasho la 1000 hardworking individuals while he himself does nothing. Yaani ratio ya 1:1000, these 1000 hardworking people are just living a minimum while this bwenyenyez live large driving Cadillacs and drinking expensive cognac, while they contribute nothing to the economy. absolute nothing. Bahati mbaya we can't change much sababu the exploiters are those calling shots.

 

[Amoeba]

Unajua tatizo wakulima wengi hawajaenda shule! inatakiwa waelimishwe kuhusu masoko, wanauza mali shambani kwa bei ya kutupa kwa kuepuka usumbufu wa kupakia kwenda sokoni! Kikubwa ni kutoa elimu na update ya hali halisi ya masoko kwa wakulima wetu. Kuanzia January 2011 nitakuwa nauza nguruwe 3000 kwa mwaka, wakenya karibuni shambani kwangu nitawauzia bei mnayotaka ninyi!! Ni ofa ya 2011-2012 pekee, kwani naweka kiwanda cha nyama 2014 nitakuwa nauza nyama na soseji tu.