AGRICULTURAL Non-State Actors Forum (ANSAF) has organised an annual learning and sharing experience event (ALE) 2019 to share knowledge and experience on the impact of climate change to smallholder producers, industrialisation, gender and practical solutions.
Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, ANSAF Executive Director Audax Rukonge said over 100 participants from different sectors were expected to attend a conference to be held next week in Dodoma Capital City.
The theme of this year ALE is “The Alarming Danger and Opportunities of Climate Change to the Agricultural Sector: Are We Ready?” He said the aim of the conference was to discuss and propose the way forward on how to utilise opportunities available to create employment and find alternative ways.
“Over 60 per cent of industrial raw materials are from agricultural sector. Thus, it is important to promote opportunities available so that stakeholders can participate full time,” the ANSAF executive director said.
According to him, the conference will bring together stakeholders from the fisheries, livestock, agriculture, policy makers, ward councillors, farmers and service providers.
He noted that there were many opportunities for investors to invest in technology of producing improved seeds that could resist drought.
Furthermore, there are opportunities in processing and storage and the involvement of private stakeholder is important.
“The aim of ALE is to showcase and highlight the alarming danger and opportunities of climate change in the agricultural sector.
Participants will come up with solutions and recommendations on how to mitigate climate change effects,” he said.
“We also want to emphasise the private sector to participate in processing.” He added. He pointed out that financial resources institutions were pivotal in the whole process of assisting investment specifically based on technology.
He said people could utilise the technology to harvest rain water and use it during the dry season to irrigate farms to ensure food security.
Since its inception in 2006, ANSAF has been promoting learning and sharing among agricultural sector stakeholders to improve the sector.
