|
Kikwete calls for agricultural revolution
2006-01-19 09:07:39
By Judica Tarimo
President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday called for a revolution in agricultural and livestock sectors to enable farmers to earn better incomes from their investments.
’I don’t know what is wrong with these sectors. We have plenty of land for agriculture and millions of animals – cattle, goats, sheep etc – yet the performance of the sectors is poor,’ President Kikwete said.
On agricultural revolution, the President directed the ministry to introduce modern farm machinery – tractors and other technologies – to hasten the shift from outdated subsistence farming.
He told the ministry to develop mechanisms under which private companies and institutions would be leasing tractors and other related machinery to farmers.
’On its part, the government will start a special fund to provide loans to farmers to help them hire tractors. We cannot improve agriculture with hoes and other traditional farming implements,’ he said.
He added: ’We need to mechanise agriculture; I am sure leasing tractors is possible.’
Pledging government’s full support, the President asked the ministry to lay down strategies to attract private companies to participate in the tractors-leasing project.
Kikwete also proposed the introduction of modernised irrigation farming that involves the construction of canals to ensure constant supply of water during rain and dry seasons.
’Indonesia has made great strides as far as irrigation farming is concerned because of the use of canals.
It is true that such projects are costly. Indonesia has managed to make progress because of the financial support they received from the international organisations,’ he said.
He promised to consult the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for financial support in the same way it did to Indonesia.
’We have to liberalise agriculture. Let’s go commercial to realise serious reforms in the sector, which is the mainstay of our country’s economy,’ President Kikwete observed.
The President said Tanzania has an estimated 18 million cattle, 13 million goats, 3.3 million sheep etc, but the contribution of livestock sector to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is only 6.2 per cent.
’I am sure the sector can contribute more than this if the ministry can establish the missing link. Let’s find the missing link,’ said the President.
’If we do that, I believe Tanzania would become one of the giant countries in livestock development in Africa,’ he said.
The President said pastoralists with large stocks of cattle were now roaming from one region to another causing environmental degradation and spreading animal diseases.
The President was angry that pastoralist communities had now turned into livestock herders and not keepers.
’This is the challenge to the new ministry to assist our livestock keepers to focus on quality and not quantity. Quality should remain our main agenda,’ he said.
The President told the agriculture and livestock ministries to improve farmers and livestockeepers access to animal drugs, water, farm inputs, fertilisers, reliable markets (local and international markets), livestock and agriculture officers, farming and livestock skills and knowledge etc.
’Skilled farmers and livestockeepers are important in improving the sectors. We cannot improve agriculture and livestock sectors if the farmers and livestockeepers lack the necessary skills and knowledge,’ said Kikwete.
’You also need to sit down with private livestock drug sellers to deliberate ways of distributing them to livestockeepers and farmers,’ he said.
The President told the two ministries to conduct regular audits to ensure that extension officers deployed to the districts were delivering to the expectations of the farmers and the country as whole.
’Extensive services is critical if we want positive results in the livestock and agriculture sectors,’ said Kikwete.
The President called for the revival of national ranches and seed farms across the country to improve production of quality livestock products and increase agricultural productivity.
He directed the agriculture ministry to ensure that nobody dies of hunger that has been triggered by the prevailing drought, which has affected many parts of the country.
’My appeal to the Agriculture Minister is that you should do everything possible to ensure that nobody dies during these hard times,’ Kikwete said.
During the visit, Livestock and Agriculture Ministers, Dr Shukuru Kawambwa and Joseph Mungai, pledged to modernise the sectors in accordance with the CCM manifesto.
|
