AS the country continues to battle Covid-19, the Ministry of Agriculture has directed the public especially traders gathering in agricultural products auctions, if necessary, to individually keep a distance of at least one or two metres.
Equally, it has suspended all meetings of agricultural stakeholders, which were initially scheduled for March and April, 2020, until further notice.
The directives were issued by the Minister for Agriculture, Japhet Hasunga while giving a report on the 2019/2020 season. The minister cautioned that any auction to be undertaken by the Cooperative Unions should not attract big crowds.
“All auctions that will be hosted by the Cooperatives to sell coffee, cashew nuts, tobacco and cotton, among others, should make sure that people individually keep a distance of between one and two metres,” he added.
The Minister equally directed all institutions focusing on any agricultural product sale to start preparations of marketing their products.
“The National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) and other related institutions should begin purchasing agricultural products for 2019/2020,” pointed out Mr Hasunga.
Expounding, he asked buyers of products like coffee and cotton to ensure that they pay stipulated levies of cooperatives and local government authorities as agreed in stakeholders’ meetings.
This news was Culled from All Africa. Click here to view more.
