VICE President Dr Philip Mpango has appealed to research institutions, in particular the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) to focus on new crops that can thrive in Dodoma Region as the land there has the potential for producing a variety of crops.

The VP issued this appeal yesterday after laying the foundation stone for the construction of the Smart Grain Management Center, intended to control the spread of fungal toxins, in Mtanana area of Kongwa District.

The construction of the center provides a solution to long-standing challenges farmers have been facing as their produce is routinely excluded from markets due to its being permeated with fungal toxins.

He saluted the Ministry of Agriculture for providing training on appropriate farming practices to combat fungal infections in the region, where a total of 12,517 farmers were trained as an aspect of the project.

The ministry ought to keep up with agricultural education extension activities for the farmers, he said, directing the Agricultural Seeds Agency (ASA), to ensure the regular availability of quality and affordable seeds for farmers.

It should exercise regulatory authority to remove fake seeds by inspecting points of sale and quality of seed production, he said, demanding also that the National Irrigation Commission address as requested by the Mtanana community.

They asked the VP to arrange for the building an irrigation dam to alleviate stormy outflows during heavy rain in the area, thus enhancing irrigation farming.

He instructed the meat and dairy boards, under the Livestock and Fisheries ministry, to address exploitation and fraud in cattle purchases, particularly in Kongwa District.

Markets for livestock and livestock products have to be fair and realistic, by ensuring that sales are conducted using proper measurements, not guesstimates, he said.

Top officials like ministers and deputy ministers, along with regional and district commissioners, need to reduce the time used in the office to instead visit various places to address the challenges that people and institutions face.

Agriculture minister Hussein Bashe said in his remarks that the Smart Grain Management Center project includes a flour milling factory, with the ministry seeking to add nutrients to grain and addressing challenges of receiving mixed nutrients from abroad.

The factory will enable smallholder farmers to process their maize at a low cost, while the ministry develops a maize seeds regulatory procedure to eliminate fake seeds.

The government will not hesitate to revoke the licenses of seed producers if their agents use approved seed brands to sell counterfeit seeds in the market.

Earlier, while visiting Mpwapwa District, the VP inaugurated Kimaghai “A” Secondary School which comprises 11 buildings and costs 544.2mi/-, likely to reduce the distance that students from the Kimaghai and Inzomvu villages cover to attend classes.