Posted on August, 9, 2018 at 09:41 am
OVER 6,000 farmers from Kahama and Tarime districts of Shinyanga and Mara regions are undergoing capacity building in order to graduate into commercial farmers and livestock keepers.
Under a three year project funded by Acacia Mining Plc’s Buzwagi and North Mara Gold Mines and implemented by Farm Concern International, the project which is due to cover the next three years, is seeking to train smallholder farmers and pastoralists in modern agriculture practices to improve productivity.
“Buzwagi and North Mara gold mines recognise the potential to help stimulate the agricultural sector and contribute to a thriving economy in communities around the mine,” said Acacia’s Managing Director for Tanzania, Asa Mwaipopo said.
Mwaipopo said in conjunction with Farm Concern International (FCI), Buzwagi and North Mara gold mines have recently begun agriculture improvement programmes aimed at addressing hurdles towards commercialisation of farming by smallholder farmers and livestock keepers.
Among other things, the initiative seeks to increase productivity and develop market concepts to help farmers build business relationships. Through the mines’ support farmers will become more competitive in the marketplace and better ensure the sustainability and profitability of their work.
“We believe this project will go a long way to improve farmers’ lives locally,” Mwaipopo noted as the country marks Farmers Day or Nane Nane today.
In addition, with the closure of Buzwagi planned for 2020, the project is also designed to create jobs and support sustainable livelihoods, thereby strengthening the local community’s social and economic development.
About 450 kilometres to the north, in Matongo, Tarime, a 19-member group of farmers is engaged in rice farming. The Matongo rice farm footprint has grown from 15 to 30 acres, increasing its output seven-fold over the last four years.
The group received over 250m/- from North Mara Gold Mine by way of training in modern farming methods, equipment, and irrigation schemes.
“North Mara Gold Mine has been supporting us since 2016,” said Daniel Isaroche, who is Chairman of the farmers group. “In a short amount of time the yield on our farm has increased, improving our standard of living,” Isaroche added.
As the country’s largest employer, agriculture accounts for about 30 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and about 40 percent of export earnings. Unlike Tarime where paddy rice farming is the main occupation, in Kahama 75 percent of residents depend on livestock keeping and some arable agriculture.
With about 70 percent of the country’s population engaged in agriculture, Acacia’s continued support of the sector is paramount as government targets to turn the economy into middle income cum semi industrialised status by 2025.
According to a 2017 economic outlook for Tanzania published by the audit firm, Deloitte, the processing of agricultural commodities is already driving industrialisation in the country. In 2015 food and beverages accounted for more than 40 percent of the country’s manufacturing output.
Tanzania is now seeking to grow the contribution of the manufacturing sector from 13.25 percent of GDP to 40 percent over a ten-year period with farming as an important focal point. Interventions aimed at improving agricultural productivity will therefore contribute substantially to the attainment of the nation’s industrialization agenda as per Development Vision 2025.
Source: IPP Media