|
`Antiquated farming methods hamper agricultural development`
2007-07-04 09:13:31
By Lusekelo Philemon, Dodoma
Old-fashioned farming methods coupled with the hand hoe are among reasons leading to a decline of the agricultural sector in the country.
Answering a question from Pindi Chana (Special Seats, CCM), Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives Dr. David Mathayo said about 70 per cent of farmers still depended on traditional methods of farming.
Chana had wanted to know about government efforts to supply farmers with modern farming implements by giving them tractors.
The minister said the two factors had negatively affected agricultural production.
He said about 34 million hectares of fertile land were underutilised because of poor farming facilities, saying that only 10 million hectares were used by farmers in the country.
`Only 20 per cent of farmers use animals and 10 per cent use tractors,` he added.
`In order to meet the country’s demand we need to import between 1500 and 1800 tractors per year,` he observed.
He said currently Tanzania imported between 200 and 300 tractors per year, a number which he said could not meet the required demand.
He said the private sector was responsible for importing tractors in the country and the government had removed unnecessary taxes on agricultural inputs and implements in order to make it easier for farmers to afford them.
Dr Mathayo reminded MPs and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector to sensitise farmers to form or join savings and credits cooperative societies so as to make them access loans for buying agricultural inputs.
|
