African Cashew Alliance

Sunday News; Sunday, December 17, 2006 @00:06

THE government has repealed licences of seven cashew nut buyers, after they failed to respond to the deadline conditions set recently by President Jakaya Kikwete.

The Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr Stephen Wassira, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that in the 2006/07 cashew nut season, twenty-seven buyers were licensed to buy cashew nuts, but only 20 of them responded positively to the president's ultimatum.

"Seven buyers did not respond to the president's order, and we have deregistered them", he said.

Mr Wassira named the deregistered buyers as Fidahussein Co.Ltd, Kapila Enterprises, Ascrop (T) Ltd and Hebri Enterprises.

Others are Compass Services, Annar Cashew nuts Factory and Senga Enterprises.

Mr Wassira could not say whether these buyers were temporarily deregistered or permanently.

When President Kikwete visited Mtwara region in November this year, he gave cashew nut buyers a two-week ultimatum to resume the crop at the agreed price, or else face revocation of their licences. The ultimatum expired on November 21.

Meanwhile, Mr Wassira has dismissed media reports that there was a cold strike in cashew business.

He said that until November 15 this year, over 44,407 tons had been bought compared to 12,500 tons that were bought prior to the president's ultimatum.

He admitted that there were fewer buyers in the Coast region than it was before.

Before the beginning of the cashew nut season this year, both buyers and farmers had agreed that a kilogramme of standard grade of cashew nut would buy at 600/-, and 480/- for a kilogramme of the under grade cashew nuts.

However, when the season began in October, the buyers refused the agreeable earlier price, forcing the government to intervene.