Govt plans to enact new law on land use

Arusha. In an effort to mitigate food shortages in Tanzania, the government is planning to enact a new law on better land use.

This comes after different researches discovered that a large portion of the country’s land, mainly cultivated, has become infertile due to use of old technology in land preparation.

Speaking during the opening of agriculture stakeholders meeting, director of national agricultural equipment Adam Njovu said researches have shown that soil erosion has also remained one of the major problems their efforts to improve productivity.

‘What we are doing is to change the law, which will promote the use of modern technology in farming,” he said. “The modern agricultural technology will help restore soil fertility while preparing the agricultural policy to increase yields.”

He said most farmers in developing and developed world have migrated to modern agricultural practices, including Mozambique, where half of the farmers have embraced modern farming.

However, in Tanzania, only 0.5 per cent of the farmers practise modern agriculture, something he said increases sfood insecurity. (Bertha Ismail)

An official with Agricultural Council of Tanzania (ACT) Mr Hendry Mziray said the main objective of the new law will be to restore land fertility, which will also improve productivity.

One of the meeting participants from Kiteto district Mr Hassan Sioki said commercial farming can be applied in Tanzania is there is a law.