Posted on May, 6, 2019 at 10:17 am
TANZANIA Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) and World Food Programme (WFP) have reaffirmed their commitments to spearhead development of agricultural sector in the country.
In their joint statement in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the two institutions said they recently met and deliberated on current areas of collaboration and identified potential areas of partnership.
“Innovation is a key element in transformation of the agricultural sector in the country, both TADB and WFP work to promote innovation in
agricultural production systems in the country albeit in varying ways,” the statement read.
It pointed out that the bank and WFP are working in partnership to execute Farm to Market Alliance (FTMA) project, a cooperation that has
enabled TADB to provide loans of over 750m/- to eight maize farmer groups, with a total of 867 farmers working on 2,789 acres in Ruvuma and Rukwa regions.
“The plan is to explore ways to scale up the FTMA model and have more smallholders under this arrangement,” reads the statement, noting further that while the bank manages the fund that promotes innovation in rural Tanzania, WFP strives to be the field hub of innovation.
The two institutions have agreed to partner to devise methods that will contribute to the reduction of post-harvest losses in grains, increasing food production and bettering nutrition across the country.
The partners hinted that through the Boresha Lishe project that is being implemented in Singida and Dodoma regions, food security has been greatly improved.
“The bank is working to develop schemes and methods that will increase crop diversification, improve access to finance and make its presence better felt in the regions,” read the statement.
In line with the Agricultural Sector Development Plan (ASDP) II component of sustainable water and land use management, TADB is setting
out to reach the objective of financing at least 20 irrigation schemes, promoting three alternative irrigation technology schemes, financing an agri-park in the Lake Zone and offer financing solutions to at least ten major projects related to climate change management.
WFP has expressed readiness to provide technical assistance as well as programme design and management to assist the agricultural bank to realise the ambitious transformative goal.
The sustained alliance between TADB and WFP provides farmers with the opportunity to secure affordable loans and agricultural technologies alongside other benefits, which are critical in boosting farmers’ incomes and improving livelihood of millions in Tanzania.
Source: Daily News