FAO offers 1.7bn/- to support vegetable farming

TANZANIA: THE United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has granted 600,000 Euros (1.7bn/-) to African Directorate of the World Vegetable Centre (Worldveg) located at Tengeru in Arusha region so as to improve agriculture production and research in Africa.

Worldveg Director General, Dr Gabriel Rugalema said the funding will be the centre to improve vegetable farming in the continent through research and suggesting best ways of improving farming.

He was speaking when the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Industry, Trade, Agriculture and Livestock visited the centre on Thursday.

The MPs visited the centre to assess its performance, listen to challenges and propose best ways on how they could be worked out for the broad interests of Tanzanian farmers and Africa at large.

He said the financial assistance they received from FAO will help the centre to conduct research and improve vegetable farming in Africa.

The money will also help them to strengthen seed research, training and implement other projects.

However, Dr Rugalema told MPs that despite the support, yet the centre still needs more fund to run its activities effectively. He requested the government to continue supporting the Worldveg with financial resources and asked for extra 20 acres of land for training and vegetable farming.

He said earlier, the government provided the centre with 4 acres in 1992 and that the land is no longer enough for farming and training at the same time.

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“Worldveg is one of the largest centres in Africa and the world for the research of vegetable farming seeds, so the need for financial resources is great. We are also requesting the government to either reduce the tax or remove it from the imported research equipment because TRA has been charging high taxes while the equipment are not for business purposes,” he noted.

On his side, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Mr David Silinde commended the centre for boosting vegetable farming in the country. He directed the centre’s leadership to visit the Ministry of Agriculture in Dodoma so that they can discuss the best ways to address their challenges and support their activities.

“Let’s meet in Dodoma to see how to get money and land extension for Worldveg because you are doing a good job for the interests of the country,” said Mr Silinde.

On her part, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Industry, Trade and Livestock, Ms Mariamu Mzuzuri said that all challenges facing the centre have been listed down and that they will be resolved to support smooth operations.