Projects

7190. Raspberries Farming Project Kindi Village - Tanzania

The developers of a raspberry farming project in Moshi District in Tanzania, have applied for DGGF funding. The farm is working towards a substantial expansion of its operations. The proposed farm will occupy about 50 ha of which 40 ha will be utilized for plantation. RVO, who manages the facility, has asked the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) to assess the quality of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, which will be submitted for approval to the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) in Tanzania. In drafting the advice, use has been made of, amongst other, an earlier NCEA advice on "Quality of Scoping Report and Terms of Reference for the Proposed Raspberries Farming Project Kindi Village" (Memorandum by the NCEA, August 2015).

Significant details

On the scoping report, the NCEA concluded that the report is too narrow in scope and therefore does not provide a sufficient starting point for the ESIA. For instance the project and site description was incomplete. Also some key environmental and social risks for this type of project were not mentioned. Clear (quantitative) data (and percentages with references to sources), on the water requirements for the project needed to be provided, preferably with reference to any relevant water basin planning.

NCEAs overall conclusion on the EIA report is that the information presented is mainly based on assumptions. The project description is still incomplete. For the environment there is hardly a qualitative and no quantitative baseline. Policies and legislations are not translated into concrete requirements and targets for the intended project. Impact assessment is qualitative in nature and mainly based on assumptions (as the project description is still vague). The NCEA recommends that the next version of the EIA credibly addresses at least the following points:

  • Water extraction through the year; impact on Umbwe river hydrology, water life and downstream users;

  • Influx of several hundreds of workers; resulting pressure on housing and on wildlife;

  • Quantitative targets that the project will comply with the Employment and Labour Relations Act with regard to vulnerable groups

  • Description of the raspberry culture with regard to agrochemicals use and impacts thereof;

  • Appendices 2,3,4,5 should be included in the EIA.

Parties involved

Members of the working group

Technical secretary: Reinoud Post

Further details

Country: Tanzania


Last modified: 21 May 2019