Leverage govt support to boost agri, public told

KAGERA: NATIONAL World Food Day celebrations kicked off at CCM grounds in Bukoba Municipality in Kagera Region over the weekend with a call to the public to use government-provided opportunities in order to boost agricultural productivity and improve nutrition.

The Acting Kagera Regional Commissioner, Dr Abel Nyamahanga said it was important that farmers adopted modern farming practices and use fertilisers, noting that the government offers subsidies to make these inputs more accessible.

“Farmers should capitalise on this opportunity to boost productivity,” he stated at the celebrations coorganised by the Ministries of Agriculture and Livestock, Fisheries, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other stakeholders.

He said thanks to government efforts which include provision of subsidised fertilisers, the region has achieved 128 per cent of food sufficiency. In the 2024/25 financial year, 143.45 tonnes of subsidised fertilisers were distributed to farmers in the region, he said.

He said the government had taken steps to enhance efficiency of agricultural extension officers in Kagera Region by providing 342 motorcycles, enabling them to reach farmers more effectively.

For improvement of livestock the region has allocated 345.69 hectares for grazing, he said. He said milk production has risen to 177 million litres annually, while meat production has increased to 5,000 tonnes. Additionally, 30,000 cattle are sold outside the region each year.

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Despite the positive picture of increased food crops, meat and milk production the region continues to struggle with poor nutrition which has led to health problems particularly among children. He noted that stunting among children under five had declined from 34 per cent in 2015/16 to 30 per cent in 2022/23 noting that the rate of decline in stunting levels remained low.

The Acting RC said the nutritional status in Kagera is concerning, indicating widespread malnutrition and related problems.

According to him stunting stands at 34.5 per cent, underweight at 15.5 per cent, wasting at 3.7 per cent, obesity among women at 19.7 per cent and men at 8.9 per cent, while severe anemia affects 66.7 per cent of children under five.

He said the high levels of stunting, underweight and wasting among children indicate significant lack of essential nutrients in their diets.

According to him that could lead to impaired physical and cognitive development as well as increase susceptibility to diseases.

The Director of Crop Development in the Ministry of Agriculture, Nyasebwa Chimagu who represented Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Gerald Mweli, the World Food Day is celebrated this year amid the challenge of climate change which is directly linked to food production as it causes droughts, floods and pests and diseases to crops.

He stated that according to the FAP 2021 study, globally 220 billion US dollars is spent on food purchases, while approximately 70 million US dollars is allocated to combatting pests and diseases affecting crops. He noted that the world is grappling with rapid population growth and urbanisation.

Tanzania’s population is projected to surge to 80 million by 2030 and between 120 million and 130 million by 2050. Africa, with a current population of 1.6 billion, is anticipated to reach 2.4 billion by 2050. Globally, the population is expected to increase from 8 billion to 9.7 billion by 2050.

“All these people will need food. Our food production is required to increase by 50 per cent to meet the growing demands,” he said.

He said that to address the agricultural challenges and boost productivity in the sector, the government has significantly increased budget allocations to the Ministry of Agriculture.

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He said since President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office in 2021, the ministry’s budget has grown from 294 billion Tanzanian shillings to 735bn/- in 2022/23 financial year, 970bn/- in 2023/24 and 1.248tri/- in the current fiscal year.

He noted that Tanzania possesses one of the world’s youngest populations. To capitalise on this demographic advantage, the government aimed at attracting the youth to agriculture as a viable business venture, dispelling the outdated notion that it is a last resort for the hopeless.

However, challenges such as negative perceptions about agriculture, limited entrepreneurial skills, insufficient land access, restricted financial services, market constraints and a dearth of modern agricultural technologies and labour-saving tools persist.

To address these hurdles, the government has launched the Building a Better Tomorrow: Youth Initiatives for Agribusiness (BBT-YIA) programme to encourage Tanzanian youth to participate in agribusiness, fostering sustainable livelihoods and economic growth. He noted that Kagera Region had the opportunity to participate in the BBT-YIA programme by allocating land for the initiative.

That would enable the programme to extend its reach to the youth of Kagera, empowering them to engage in agribusiness with government support, he said. FAO’s Agricultural Officer, Deomedes Kalisa speaking on behalf of the FAO’s Country’s Representative, Dr Tipo Tibenda said transforming agrifoods system and embracing digital agriculture and modern practices, can enhance agricultural resilience and secure diverse nutritious food for all.