Pinda urge women to engage in farming

Dodoma. Retired Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda has called upon women in the country to stop complaining and instead they should engage in agriculture and livestock activities.

Pinda made the statement when speaking to councillors (Special Seats, CCM) from Namtumbo District in Ruvuma Region. The councillors visited the retired prime minister in his Zuzu home area, on the outskirts of Dodoma Region with the aim of learning agriculture management.

He agreed that there was a grain of truth that if women were empowered they could do something, but he warned that currently they were not supposed to wait to be empowered and instead they were supposed to start by forming groups so they could create an environment of being trusted.

He explained that agriculture paid off only if farmers would decide to opt for modern farming with goals and involve extension officers, saying such activities could even be carried out by the women.

"As women councillors, you have a big chance of supporting society, you can, if you are empowered and that why there is a saying “if you empower a woman, you empower a family. However, I need you to be the first to start because, as you know, there is a lot of rains in Ruvuma Region,” said Pinda.

Speaking over his farm area being used as a demonstration farm, Pinda told the councillors that he started investing in the area since 2001 when he was a deputy prime minister (local government and regional administration) and that until now he was owning 70 acres used for agriculture, cattle rearing, aquaculture and bee-keeping activities.

Speaking on behalf of fellow councillors, Ms Crace Kitete said they had learned a lot of things that, if applied well, could transform Namtumbo District and Ruvuma Region in general.