State announces agricultural boost for Ruvuma farmers

RUVUMA: FARMERS in Ruvuma Region have every reason to celebrate as President Samia Suluhu Hassan unveils a series of initiatives designed to enhance agricultural productivity and enable surplus production for export.

Ruvuma is a vital agricultural hub in Tanzania, known for its significant contributions to staple crops such as maize, sesame and soybeans, as well as cash crops including coffee, cashew nuts and tobacco.

Key among the initiatives is the establishment of agricultural mechanisation equipment centres, providing essential tools like tractors to ease the burden of farming and boost harvest yields.

The Head of State highlighted these initiatives while addressing Matemanga residents in Tunduru yesterday during her ongoing six-day working tour of the region.

Earlier, as she was heading to Tunduru, the President also addressed citizens in the Litola, Rwinga and Nachomoro wards in Namtumbo District.

“We have planned to establish agricultural equipment centres to make your work easier.

Tractors will be more accessible, and you will now only pay 40,000/- to hire a tractor instead of 80,000/- to the government,” said Dr Samia and added that, “We are implementing these measures to enhance agricultural productivity and improve your harvests.”

Furthermore, President Samia reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing seed subsidies, noting that through the Agricultural Seed Agency (ASA), significant investments are being made to produce more quality seeds to support farmers.

She explained that this effort aims not only to reduce government expenditure on seed imports but also to combat unscrupulous individuals selling regular seeds.

“We aim to eliminate ordinary seeds that do not yield and put an end to the practice of unscrupulous individuals who take regular seeds and colour them to mislead farmers,” she emphasised.

She also said that the government is committed to strengthening the agricultural sector, highlighting initiatives such as providing fertiliser subsidies to farmers across the country.

President Samia, while speaking to Litola citizens, underscored the importance of farmer’s efforts in achieving food self-sufficiency, ensuring food security and generating surplus for sale to neighbouring countries.

“Your efforts have enabled us to achieve food self-sufficiency, and we should also have surplus to sell to our neighbours,” said President Samia.

She stated that as demand increases in neighbouring countries, it presents a good opportunity for Tanzania to sell the surplus food produced domestically, which will bolster foreign currency reserves while significantly contributing to the national economy.

In response to concerns raised by Namtumbo Member of Parliament, Mr Vitta Kawawa, regarding various challenges, including elephant invasions, President Samia assured that the government is actively working to address the issues.

She added that the government is planning to deploy additional drones to help mitigate the problem.

“We currently have only one or two drones which are shared across constituencies, but I promise that if conditions improve, we will add more drones to better serve the people,” President Samia said.

She urged councillors and district officials to continue diligently managing the funds allocated for various development projects.

Additionally, she called on citizens to work hard while maintaining peace, solidarity and unity to further advance the country’s economic growth.

Regarding the forthcoming local government election, President Samia urged citizens to come out in large numbers to register and vote, choosing leaders who possess the qualifications and abilities to bring about development.

She encouraged leaders to encourage citizens to register on the voter’s register and also to guide capable individuals to contest for leadership positions.

For his part Mr Kawawa while at Litola Nachomoro and Rwinga commended the government for allocating significant amount of funds including 83.484bn/- for development projects in the Namtumbo district.