ARUSHA: THE Minister for Agriculture, Daniel Chongolo, has given a four-month deadline for the completion of the onion market under construction in Endashangwet Village, Daa Ward, Karatu District in Arusha Region, to enable farmers to market their produce more efficiently and improve their incomes.
Chongolo issued the directive after inspecting the progress of the project, which is valued at more than TZS 901.7 million. He expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of construction, noting that the project is only 39 percent complete after work stalled due to structural defects in the building’s foundation, despite the contractor having already been paid more than 270m/-.
The minister stressed that all construction defects must be rectified to ensure the market meets the required quality standards before it is handed over for public use.
“This project failed to meet the required construction standards. The defects must be corrected to ensure quality and timely completion. Our goal is to enable farmers to sell their onions here and even export them to international markets to improve their livelihoods. I am giving a four-month deadline, and by November I expect this market to be operational,” Chongolo said.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Engineer Anna Mwangamilo, said a team of technical experts will visit the site within two weeks to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the foundation before beginning the necessary corrective works.
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Arusha Regional Administrative Secretary Dr. Toba Nguvila also emphasized the importance of completing the market on schedule and proposed expanding the facility to accommodate more farmers and traders.
He said the market would enable farmers to sell their produce directly to buyers, attract traders from different regions, and facilitate onion exports through Arusha’s airports to international markets. According to Nguvila, the project will add value to the crop and strengthen Mang’ola’s reputation as one of Tanzania’s leading onion-producing areas.
“We are requesting that this market be completed on time so it can begin operations in November this year. The construction defects should be addressed to reduce the export of onions to neighboring countries without value addition, despite this area being one of the country’s largest producers,” he said.
Earlier, Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Special Seats Member of Parliament for Arusha Region, Cecilia Pareso, called on the government to expand the market and invest in additional infrastructure, including parking facilities and storage warehouses.
She said the improvements would enable farmers to safely store their onions, secure better prices, and export produce that meets international quality standards, reducing their dependence on middlemen who currently buy the crop at low prices directly from farms.