Tanzania: 7,000 Tonnes of Relief Food for Ngorongoro

 


Ngorongoro — THE Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources has endorsed the distribution of 7,000 tonnes of grains to the residents of Ngorongoro Division in Ngorongoro District, the relief food will now be provided free of charge.
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Mr Lazaro Nyalandu explained that the relief maize was previously bought by his ministry through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) so that the local residents in the NCAA could buy it to supplement their food stocks after the area suffered famine last year.
"Apparently many families could not afford to buy the food even at subsidised prizes causing the grain stockpile to stagnate in the local silos," stated Mr Nyalandu, adding that even when the NRT Minister, Ambassador Khamis Kagasheki ordered the maize to be distributed to the residents free of charge the NCAA could not execute the order.
"The NCAA had to send formal request to the government to be allowed to issue the food free instead of selling it to the people and the permit took long to be processed, but I am happy to say that the documents have been delivered and now the food can be distributed," said the Deputy Minister.

With about 20,000 households and a population of nearly 90,000 residents, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which is one of the three divisions making up the Ngorongoro District, is mapped within the reserved area restricting people from indulging in agriculture and other commercial activities.
Livestock grazing is, however, permitted among the native Maasai residents who lament that famine and drought have decimated most of their livestock and thus they are now left with nothing to depend on for survival, a cry which was expressed even to the Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda who toured the area over the weekend.
Mr Pinda also reinforced the government's decision to have the relief food distributed free of charge to the area residents and his order pushed things much faster and now the Maasai villages in the area will start getting the supplies from this week onwards.