PERMANENT Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Gerald Kusaya, has commended the Tanzania Cooperative Development Commission (TCDC) for the role it had played to improve the cooperative sector in the country.
The PS said recently that the TCDC has managed to bring cooperative societies members together, pointing out that the farmers are now enjoying reliable markets of their crops.
"TCDC has played a key role to unite members in production, crops collection and market improvement," said the Permanent Secretary while addressing staff members of TCDC.
Mr Kusaya said TCDC had registered massive achievements in the agricultural sector and good governance improvement in cooperative societies, saying supervision of cooperative societies starts with members themselves.
"We have witnessed positive changes in cooperative society in the country. Key stakeholders have continued to join cooperative societies including Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies (AMCOS)," he said.
Mr Kusaya noted that a cooperative system has helped collection of accurate statistics on agricultural production and reliable revenues collection in the district councils as well as the Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX).
"Through TMX and crops bodies, farmers of the strategic crops have tremendously benefited from reliable markets. The crops such as tobacco, coffee, cotton and cocoa fetched money amounting to 2.7 trillion/-," he said.
Briefing on achievements and challenges of the Commission, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Dr Benson Ndiege, said the Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCOS) have uplifted the loans amount to 1.5bn/- in 2017 from 854bn/- in 2019.
"Cooperative sector has made significant contributions in terms of creating job opportunities for youth. The Commission has supervised cooperative societies hence to create jobs," he said.
Dr Ndiege said at least 90,090 youths have landed permanent and temporary jobs at cooperative societies up to June, 2020, saying in 2018, cooperative societies created 32,668 jobs.
On her part, Commissioner, Ms Salome Tondi, said the cooperative sector might continue to grow and become stronger, saying education should be a priority to set free cooperative members.
She pointed out members should be educated in election procedures, rights and responsibilities of members and steps to run cooperative societies.
