Government struggles to cope with food, power deficit

The East African drought has caused food and power shortages in Tanzania and forced the government to implement measures to offset potentially serious humanitarian consequences. In an address to the nation on 28 February, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said his administration was well prepared to cope with food and power shortages in the East African country. Still, Tanzanians are hoping that the seasonal long rains that have just begun will provide much needed relief. The latest government report on the food situation shows that from February to April, 3.76 million people - more than 10 percent of the country's 35 million population - will need 99,676 tonnes of maize worth approximately US $16.6 million. The food deficit is linked to the failure of short rains between August and November 2005. According to the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, these rains account for 30 percent of annual harvests in the country. Seasonal long rains are now expected between March and May, but if they fail or come too late, the number of people needing food relief could shoot up. The long rains have begun in several parts of the country, particularly in the southwestern highland regions of Iringa, Mbeya, Rukwa and Ruvuma, where crops, especially maize, are doing well. Despite this promising situation, the government has already taken measures to ensure local food supplies remain fluid by importing maize and, in January, authorising a three-month tax exemption for the staple. Kikwete said the government had also started to distribute 14,951 tonnes of maize to 564,726 people who could not afford to buy the staple at 50 shillings (about US 4 cents) a kilogramme. The government had also put to tender a contract for the supply of 24,000 tonnes of maize, he said. Another for 28,000 tonnes is to be issued shortly. Semi-arid regions hit hard The semi-arid regions of Arusha, Dodoma, Manyara, Mara, Shinyanga and Singida - which are home to many pastoral communities - have been most severely affected by long dry spells. Some livestock farmers in Shinyanga were forced to sell cows for 8,000 shillings (about $6) each or exchange them for 20 kg of maize to feed their families. Food prices, especially maize and rice, the country's main staples, have risen to historic proportions. In the southwestern region of Rukwa, one of Tanzania’s major maize producers, a 100 kg bag of the grain sells for 50,000 shillings (about $41). When supplies are sufficient, the same amount costs 10,000 shillings (about $8). In the nation's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, and other coastal areas, the retail price of rice is between 800 and 1,000 shillings a kilogramme, depending on the quality and variety. Four months ago, the same amount was between 500 and 600 shillings. Power rationing In January, Kikwete told the nation that a prolonged dry spell had led to a severe drop in water levels at dams feeding the country's hydroelectric power plants, forcing the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) to resort to power rationing. "We are now approaching a point where we must shut down the hydropower generation plants," Kikwete said at a meeting of elders in Dar es Salaam on 31 January. The following day, power rationing of eight hours per day began. A few days later, Ibrahim Msabaha, the minister for energy and minerals, announced that rationing had been extended by four hours. In Dar es Salaam, the reality was that some sectors of the city were without power for up to 18 hours each day. Kikwete said the water level at the Mtera Dam, which feeds the major hydroelectric power plants in central Tanzania, was below the permitted power-generation water level of 690 metres. In January, the government amended the regulation to permit TANESCO to continue until the level dropped to 687 metres. The level has since dropped to 687.59 metres, leaving a narrow safety margin and raising the possibility that power plants will have to be shut down. Kikwete said the 447 megawatts of power generated by TANESCO's hydro and thermal stations and produced by state-contracted firms fell well short of national demand: Tanzania’s power needs are double the amount that is currently being generated. Industrialists are already complaining that erratic power supply could drive them out of business. "We cannot compete if we use generators to produce. It is expensive - the only option is to close down the factory until mid-March," said Clifford Antao, an engineer with the corrugated roofing sheet manufactuer JJ Industries.