Japan 3.3bn/- grant to buy rice
 
2005-04-21 08:47:09
By Mgeta Mganga

	The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Gray Mgonja and Ambassador of Japan, Katsuya Ikeda (r) signs a grant agreement for food aid in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Japan yesterday signed a 3.3bn/- grant agreement with the government for purchase of rice to curtail food shortages afflicting some parts of the country.

Japan Ambassador to Tanzania Katsuya Ikeda and the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, Gray Mgonja, signed the agreement.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam during the signing ceremony, Mgonja said the grant would enable Tanzania to procure rice from Japan, China and Thailand.

He said Tanzania would allocate the rice purchased under the grant to reliable local agents to sell to the public Mgonja said the money realized from the sale will be used to finance agricultural related interventions such as small scale irrigations, water supply and feeder roads, with a view to improve conditions for food security, safe water and rural infrastructure.

“These are essential elements in the war against poverty,” he said.
Japan has been assisting Tanzania in many ways, he added.

The PS said the grant would improve productivity in agricultural sector, which will rise fast enough to enable the country to be self-sufficient in food production.

This would be achieved through availability of affordable inputs, rural infrastructure, marketing support and other essential ingredients, Mgonja said.

On his side, Ikeda said , food aid has uniquely contributed to alleviate food shortage in the country and support basic human needs.

Japan has also been assisting Sokoine University of agriculture for a longtime by providing technical assistance, he said.

“Tanzania is essentially an agricultural country, and will continue to be so for many years to come. Any efforts at economic growth that does not include the agricultural sector will not succeed over the long term,” he said.

Ikeda said that, agricultural development is the key for poverty reduction and sustainable development for the country, and food aid is one of the tools to alleviate food insecurity, which drives mainly low production of major crops caused by the fickleness of weather, lack of technology and insufficient infrastructure.

“I believe that the government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the same institution like SUA are making effort to address agriculture development which will lead to poverty alleviation,” he said. (Photo on page 2)

• SOURCE: Guardian