Vice-President, Dr Philip Mpango has reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to improve the agricultural sector and boost food security for socio-economic prosperity. In realising agricultural sector transformation and growth, the government has been taking various measures, notably the improvement of the National Agriculture Policy, 2013 and the Zanzibar Agricultural Sector Development Programme (ZASDP 2019-2029), said the Vice-President.
Dr. Mpango disclosed this at the ongoing African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) 2021 Summit, which is taking place in a hybrid format in Kenya, whereby the VP participated virtually on behalf of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. With the country now implementing its third National Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III), Agriculture is seen as central to industrialisation and a source of livelihood for approximately 65 per cent of the Tanzanian population. The agricultural sector employs 66,3 per cent of the country’s workforce.
The FYDPII had set a target of attaining a real growth rate of 7.6 per cent in the GDP share of 29.4 per cent.
“The FYDPII had set a target of attaining a real growth rate of 7,6 per cent in the GDP share of 29.4 per cent and 24.9 per cent share in total exports and in total employment at 56.5 per cent. “Such target was not met as the sector has grown by an annual average of 5,1 per cent, accounting for an average of 27,7 per cent to GDP share, 24,1 per cent to export earnings and 65 per cent of total employment,” indicates the FYDP III document.
For the duration of FYDP III, efforts are directed to consolidate and further scale up the achievements, so far recorded and explore opportunities afforded by the adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture approaches (CSA). In the meeting, Dr. Mpango also revealed that during the UN Food System Summit on September 23, this year, Tanzania will present a paper on the area of agriculture financing, lack of quality seeds for agriculture and fisheries, pests’ challenges and lack of modern technology in agriculture as well as livestock keeping.
