Govt allocates 8bn/- for youth empowerment

MTWARA: THE government has allocated 8bn/- to the Cashew Nuts Board of Tanzania (CBT) to implement the “Building a Better Tomorrow Programme: Youth Initiative for Agriculture” (BBT-YIA) aimed at boosting the cashew nut industry in the country.

CBT Director General, Mr Francis Alfred revealed the funding during an event held on Monday.

He explained that the money is intended to empower 500 young people involved in agribusiness by providing them with the skills and resources necessary to contribute effectively to the production of cashew nuts.

The event also marked the launch of a new initiative to equip 500 youth employed as agricultural extension officers with motorcycles and tablets to support the implementation of the BBT programme in the cashew industry.

“Part of the funding will be used for training and capacity-building for the youth engaged in the cashew sector,” Mr Alfred said.

“The youth will be trained in modern farming techniques and best practices in cashew cultivation, enabling them to teach cashew growers and increase production.”

He emphasised that the 8bn/- will primarily be used to deploy 500 agribusiness youth across key cashew-producing regions, including Mtwara, Lindi, Ruvuma, Coast and Tanga.

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These youth will be trained and equipped to teach best practices in cashew cultivation, contributing to increased production.

The programme’s goal is to help CBT achieve the government’s ambitious target of increasing cashew production to 700,000 tonnes in the 2025/2026 season, up from 528,262.23 tonnes in 2024/2025.

Regarding the provision of motorcycles and tablets, Mr Alfred said that these tools will help the agribusiness youth reach cashew farmers more effectively and provide essential extension services.

He encouraged the youth to use the motorcycles and tablets responsibly for their intended purpose.

Mtwara Regional Commissioner Colonel Patrick Sawala, in a speech delivered by Tandahimba District Commissioner Colonel Michael Mtenjele, urged the youth to use the resources provided to reach out to farmers and offer valuable agricultural services.

He also encouraged cashew farmers to take advantage of the expertise offered by the agribusiness youth to improve their practices. The BBT-YIA programme, initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, is designed to help CBT reach its production targets and ensure the growth and sustainability of the cashew industry in Tanzania.