VP demands protection of land allocated for grape farming
DODOMA: VICE-PRESIDENT Dr Philip Mpango has instructed the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Developments, in collaboration with the Dodoma Regional leadership, to ensure the protection of land allocated for grape farming.
The directive aims to prevent the construction of residential settlements on land designated for grape agricultural purposes.
Dr Mpango issued these directives after laying the foundation stone for a grape processing plant in Chinangali II, Chamwino District, Dodoma Region, during the first day of his working visit to the region.
“I am concerned about the rapid pace of residential construction in Dodoma and I urge urban planners and surveyors to prioritise the preservation of grape farming areas as originally planned,” said Dr Mpango.
He urged the people of Dodoma to intensify their efforts in grape cultivation to maximise the benefits of the new processing plant.
Dr Mpango highlighted that Tanzania spends approximately 19.5bn/- annually importing an average of 10 million litres of grape juice extracts to meet domestic demand.
He added: “The establishment of this plant addresses numerous challenges related to grape processing, preservation and minimises losses due to the lack of value addition and storage infrastructure.”
The vice-president emphasised that the establishment of industries for processing and adding value to agricultural products, including grapes, for domestic consumption and export, is a key priority in the Sixth Phase Government’s 10/30 agenda aiming to achieve 10 per cent growth in the agricultural sector by 2030.
Dr Mpango stated that the government has included grapes in the list of strategic crops prioritised for development in collaboration with private sectors.
He instructed the Minister for Agriculture to ensure the availability of high-quality seedlings through the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) and the liable district councils, together with strengthening extension services for grape cultivation.
ALSO READ: TEMDO designs tech to suit local industrial growth
Dr Mpango also called on the people of Dodoma to avoid environmental degradation, including uncontrolled burning and deforestation.
He urged them to prioritise the preservation of water sources and fertile land to protect the region from the impacts of climate change.
He encouraged residents of Chamwino District to actively participate in the process of preparing the National Vision 2050 and to engage in the updating of the Permanent Voter Register.
The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Hussein Bashe, stated that the plant is a response to the long-standing request of grape farmers in Dodoma who lacked a suitable destination for their produce, leading to frequent losses.
He added that the second phase of the plant’s construction will focus on building tanks for grape farmers to enhance their production capacity and provide them with the option to sell grapes as fruit or processed juice.
He mentioned that due to significant water loss in Dodoma Region, the Ministry of Agriculture is implementing irrigation projects, including the construction of a water reservoir in Chamwino District and an 11,000-hectare irrigation project in Mtera.
The grape processing plant, worth 2.1bn/-, is expected to process about 300 tonnes of grapes annually and store 220,000 litres of grape juice per year.
The plant will serve approximately 120 farmers from nearby areas, including the Building Better Tomorrow (BBT) Chinangali grape farm.
