Cashew nut farmers get 450m/- second payment

At least 150 cashew nut farmers under the primary cooperative society based in Nanjirinji ward, in Lindi region, have started receiving their second payment amounting to 450m/- after sticking to their stand.

Impeccable sources from the ward and leaders of the cooperative society say the payment was effected on March 3, this year.

Speaking on the behalf of their fellow farmers, Kindamba Yusufu, Hemedi Ally and Mwanaisha Issa, said they had decided to push for the payment after seeing that there were unnecessary delays.

They said their financial situation had reached a critical point to the extent that they were failing to meet the basic requirements of their families including paying school fees and so they threatened to take stern measures against the leadership like locking in the office their leaders indefinitely.

“Our incomes depend on the sales of our crops, when no payment comes out of that, it's like our lives come to a stand still," said Yusufu.

They said it was their stand that forced the society clerk, Bakari Kiamba, to go to Lindi and get the money for their payment.

This reporter contacted Kiamba over the phone who confirmed that he was forced to follow up on the money in Lindi.

The clerk said 350/- per kilo was the second payment to complete the price of 1,200/- per kilo of cashew sold under the arrangement of 'receipt on the crops stored in the warehouse for 2011/12.

Source: THE GUARDIAN