What Tanzania is doing to transform food systems

DAR ES SALAAM: Vice President Philip Mpango has outlined five main strategies implemented by Tanzania as the East African state determines to address various factors affecting food security.

Speaking during the opening of the 2023 Africa Food Systems Forum at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam, Dr Mpango said the sector plays a pivotal role in the country’s economy, a reason why the State is working on the challenges affecting its growth.

The VP told forum’s participants that Tanzania is determined to transform the sector to commercial agriculture through pumping more monies for execution of various projects.

For the past two years, he added, Tanzania scaled up the sector’s funds to 17 per cent total budget.

“The initiative also aims at improving extension services and increasing investment in the sector as well as motivating youth participation in Agri business through establishing block irrigation farming under what we call the Building the Better Tomorrow (BBT),” he explained.

However, he mentioned other areas as, the establishment of policies and strategies in support of the food system, embracing climate smart agriculture including regenerative production systems and scaling up investment in agriculture research and education by working closely with universities and other stakeholders.

On the other hand, the Vice President said that safe and nutritious food is among the most basic and universal rights of all humans for survival and wellbeing.

Referring to the state of food security and nutrition report of July 2023, one in five people in Africa is going hungry which is more than twice the global average.

He added that the number of people experiencing hunger is projected to rise by more than 22 billion in 2023 with food import bills in the region estimated at 75 billion US Dollars.

Commenting earlier on the various steps taken in boosting the agriculture sector, Governor of the Central Bank, Mr Emmanuel Tutuba said that the lender of the last resort has created favourable monetary policy to attract commercial banks to have enough liquidity to support agriculture.

“Our aim is to lower the interest rate so we lowered the statutory minimum reserves to around 6 per cent and encouraged all commercial banks that will come with specific products which will enable agriculture stakeholders to access the loan,” the governor said.