In raising rice production in the country

EXPERTS with the Japan International Development Agency (JICA) have lately express their ardent wish to see Tanzania become a major rice producer in the region, noticeably relating to irrigation farming for instance in Kilimanjaro region

New methods of irrigation have been designed over the years which conserve water in protecting water sources, by solid construction of canals and using pumps and water throwers.

Still there is something unsatisfactory about these efforts as they seem to be coming and going registering a mixture of success and failure, always.

JICA officials were particularly enthusiastic about the fact that the agency has been acting in the country since 1962, quite literally at the morrow of independence.

 It ought to be in a good position to take stock of it experience to  figure out why its objectives don't appear to have been achieved since that time, though in that context its efforts won't be the only ones that failed to be realized but scores of other agencies, not to speak of government visions.

There have been fairly numerous occasions for stock taking, but not some corrective moves to avoid all the past errors.

For JICA to be as enthusiastic at the moment as they were decades ago it is possible there is a new reason or occasion for optimism, where presumably their own expectations my generally coincide with a broadening consensus that there is a workable method of doing things at present.

It is not hard for JICA activities or efforts to be placed alongside such optimism, as projects are finally implemented on the basis of efficacy of accountability, as when it lacks, not much will be achieved.

While Japanese projects are not often in the line of fire, it is unclear if they did not face similar problems as other donor aided projects, where local officials were a bit free with the cash.

The main thrust of JICA cooperation is in the spread and application of farming techniques, which brings about higher yields per hectare, to work towards realizing the goal of national grain self-sufficiency.

Still anyone visiting a market and looking at the sacks of rice, from which customers pick what they want, will notice that quality and price combine to set the stage for competition.

Customers are particularly sensitive to prices but they bother about quality or with regard to rice, a customer will have some things to look for, apart from prices, taste and texture.

As it is the case with other mass consumer products, quantity sufficiency of local production does not imply the lack of need for imports, as planned sufficiency leads to artificial shortage and hiked prices, and when the police are told to check, corruption set in.

On that account there is not much need for scratching one's head for rice self-sufficient but mass production with low market prices.

That is where the problem comes in, as to where the agency- or the government- gets the sort of producers who shall have low costs and excellent quality, where the answer is clear, imports.

 JICA are doing well to spread agro-techniques, but it is fiscal and other policies which will determine how far local producers can attain high quality and low prices,  and when that will be the case. For the moment, it is just sufficient there is no rice out there, chiefly.

Source: IPP Media