How Tanzania will benefit from hosting AGRF forum

Dar es Salaam. Ministers from the Ministry of Agriculture and that of Livestock and Fisheries from both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, have touted Tanzania’s potential in the continental agricultural sector as the country gears up to host the Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF)

The high-level forum starts tomorrow at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam.

Speaking at a press conference with editors at the Dar es Salaam State House yesterday, Minister of Agriculture Hussein Bashe underscored Tanzania’s potential as an agricultural hub for other African countries.

He said that if government agricultural systems fail in Tanzania, then many African countries and beyond will feel the pinch.

“If we fail to produce and supply enough maize or rice, then many countries around the world that depend on our produce will suffer,” Bashe said.

He talked about the improved agricultural performance across various food varieties and the elevated output ability and value addition as some of the qualities that make Tanzania stand out in Africa.

Bashe stressed the need for partnerships with the private sector in scaling agricultural activities. He talked about the government’s drive to involve youth in agriculture and the strides made since the Building a Better Tomorrow (BBT) initiative was launched.

He said that the government will establish agricultural parks and hand them over to young farmers across the country.

The move is part of the government’s plan to encourage youth participation in agriculture.

Bashe said that youth under the BBT initiative will be given the land for agricultural activities. The allotted areas will have irrigation systems, and the youth will also receive title deeds.

“The beneficiaries include close to 800 youth who’ve graduated from the BBT program; 22 of them are from Zanzibar,” he said.

For his part, Zanzibar’s Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, Natural Resources, and Livestock, Shamata Shaame Khamis, said that agriculture continues to be among the important economic sectors in Zanzibar as it supports the livelihoods of 70 percent of the population directly and indirectly.

 “40 percent of the population in Zanzibar is directly involved in agriculture. This means that nearly half of our population is dependent on farming. This makes the sector one of the most important for our livelihoods and economy,” he said.

Abdallah Ulega, the minister for Livestock and Fisheries, shared the export prospects that are given impetus by his ministry’s new drive to tap into the full scale of potential offered by exports of meat and other produce. He said that Tanzania’s export price per kilogram of Nile Perch is around $5.50 per kg in 2023.

He said that unlike farming, which is seasonal, the fisheries and livestock sub-sectors always have an abundance of supply year-round.

Principal Secretary at Zanzibar’s Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries, Aboud Jumbe, said that Tanzania’s focus, especially Zanzibar, is on the blue economy. He says the government has committed itself to elevating the performance of the blue economy as more investors show interest.

He said that the AGRF is a platform that can be used to push the blue economy agenda and it comes at an opportune time for Zanzibar.