Posted on September, 2, 2019 at 10:58 am
THE government has outlined measures to address challenges facing farming and trading of cereal crops in and outside the country.
The measures include holding meetings with stakeholders in various parts of the country.
Minister for Industry and Trade Innocent Bashungwa (pictured) announced the measures in Dar es Salaam yesterday, when winding up a two-day meeting that involved farmers and traders of cereal crops.
The meeting also focused on strategising how Tanzanians could fully exploit the international market, including Southern African Development Community (SADC).
According to Mr Bashungwa, the meetings will be held in various parts of the country with effect from next month and will involve all ministries that are in one way or another involved in the sector.
These include the Ministry of State in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Mr Bashungwa also directed the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) to team up with other financial institutions in issuing low-interest loans to smallholder farmers to enable them to fully engage in agriculture and increase productivity.
He said high interests charged by financial institutions had been a stumbling-block to the growth of trade and investment, including smallholder farmers.
“It would be better for TADB to team up with other financial institutions to help farmers, in terms of loan issuance as it will make them share any possible risks.” he said.
“Apart from market utilisation in and outside Africa,” he said, “agribusiness will also lead to the attainment of industrialisation goals, a development path that is being pursued by the fifth-phase government.”
According to him, the government has been doing whatever possible to improve a business climate as it currently continues reviewing various laws in line with present industry and trade requirements.
He said improving an investment environment involved the removal of all unnecessary levies on crops to smoothen both farming and trading.
“There is a need to involve development partners in our various economic activities as they have a role to play in the provision of both financial and technical support.
Their contribution is also needed in the promotion of a productive agricultural climate, adding value to our products as well as our market search,” he said.
He explained that the government was also in progress to collaborate with neighbouring countries to improve crossborder businesses, a step that would sustain markets of various Tanzanian products.
Minister for Agriculture Japhet Hasunga said there was a need for the two ministries (his and that of Industry and Trade) to work together to make agriculture most productive.
The collaboration is also for easing the availability of markets and job creation in agriculture and industries, according to him.
Source: Daily News