In Tanzania, agricultural production has evolved from subsistence to commercial farming over the past 62 years of independence. Despite this transformation, there is still a lack of mechanization and value addition in the sector. Prof Samwel Kabote, a Rural Development Expert and Senior Lecturer at Sokoine University of Agriculture, highlighted the necessity of integrating all sectors for inclusive economic growth. He emphasized the importance of mechanization, quality seeds, and other inputs to achieve a growth rate of at least six percent in the agricultural sector.
Since independence, the government has prioritized agriculture as the backbone of the economy with the goal of eradicating poverty. However, challenges such as low productivity, lack of experts, and hand-to-mouth production have hindered the sector’s development. With the introduction of the National Development Vision (NDV) 2025 in the 2000s, there was an increase in production but minimal value addition, leading to the sector contributing only 4 percent to national income.
To address these issues, the government launched the Building a Better Tomorrow (BBT) program in six phases to improve the sector by addressing issues such as inadequate extension officers, mechanization, financing, land, seeds, and markets. The program has attracted many youths and women who have been trained in successful agribusiness strategies and modern farming practices.
Looking ahead, the government aims to see the agriculture sector grow by 10 percent by 2030. Additionally, there is a push to commercialize the water economy, including fishing, to effectively exploit abundant water resources. Overall, there is a call for increased value addition, diversification of value chains, and education on the importance of the blue economy to drive growth and development in Tanzania.
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