Agro-sector can produce more

Lindi. Agriculture is the mainstay of Tanzania’s economy whereby between 70 and 80 per cent of its population depends on the sector which is not only the backbone of the national economy but also a survival tool for majority of its citizens.

Therefore, if the country wants to make any notable progress economically and socially, it needs to put emphasis on agriculture. Unfortunately this is not the case.

To a great extent, Tanzania still practices subsistence agriculture. Farmers in the country, to a great extent, have been left to fend for themselves. Most of the government programmes in agriculture do not benefit the small holder farmers directly.

Though there are many programmes in relation to boosting the sector, a majority of small-scale farmers have continued to use inferior tools. They have, as a result failed to improve their lives.

There are a lot of programmes, projects and slogans based on agriculture. Apart from the main theme which depicts the sector as the backbone of the nation, we have had Kilimo Ni Siasa (Agriculture Is Politics), Iringa Resolution on Agriculture and now we have Kilimo Kwanza (Agriculture First) initiative, among thers, which the government uses to drive the agriculture agenda.

These slogans were coined as propaganda to cajole people to give the sector its due attention and weight. The government is fully aware that if well managed and maintained, agriculture is capable of turning around the country’s economy within a short time. The question is why the government has been giving agriculture lip service for all these years?

Its efforts to redeem agriculture have not helped smallholder farmers as there is no serious intention to boost the potentially rich sector. It is not surprising therefore that many people, notably the youth, have been shunning rural areas, migrating to urban centres in search of lucrative activities. Many of them end up being street vendors, earning next to nothing.

This situation is not different in Ngongowele Village in Liwale District, Lindi Region, where the government is implementing an irrigation scheme. Journalists who visited the village did not notice any major difference, in terms of agricultural development, with other villages which have no such projects.

What is worrying is that many villagers are still sceptical over the project. They don’t believe that it has the potential to transform their lives. Mr Mohamed Makanwa, the chairman of the team spearheading the irrigation project said the agriculture sector faces a lot of challenges mainly because of lack of enthusiasm by villagers.

“Unfortunately, while others have been regarding the project as a redeemer of those engaged in agriculture in the village, there is rampant misuse of funds allocated for the implementation of the project,” laments Mr Makanwa.

Mr Makanwa says the project was a brainchild of villagers themselves in 2009 after the government announced the introduction of the Kilimo Kwanza initiative.

“Our main intention was assuring ourselves of food security. But we knew that we could produce surplus which would have helped us to supplement our income,” he elaborated.

The chairman said the plan was to put 500 hectares in Ngongowele Valley under irrigated agriculture. But poor management and financing has made the project a failure. To begin with, the chairman said, there was poor selection of contractors.

“More than Sh800 million has been used for this project but it has not started to show any results yet,” he said, noting that lack of seriousness in implementing the project has made many people, including farmers, believe that the government is not committed to redeeming the farming sector in the country.

Ms Zuhura Mbaujika told reporters that lack of knowledge on the part of smallholder farmers was another factor that makes many agriculture projects fail.

“Many farmers continue to practice traditional agriculture, so even if the government establishes projects such as this one, the villagers do not support them. As a result, the projects stall and eventually die,” she said.

She noted that before establishing of such projects there should be awareness campaigns to change the mindset of villagers. “People should be made to believe that there is a possibility of changing the way they have been farming and get more from the activity,” she insisted.

Ms Mbaujika also blamed poor implementation of the project, noting that it has created a bad impression on the villagers. She noted that after the failure of the project, many villagers now believe that the government is not serious in its agricultural endeavours.

“It will take a lot of persuading to make these villagers change their minds. I don’t think that they will easily accept any other government-sponsored project in their village with great enthusiasm,” she said.

Nevertheless, the secretary of the stalled project, Mr Ahmadi Ndombwe, was upbeat. Despite the challenges, he still believes that the project will be completed and villagers will enjoy its benefits.

“The government will not be dissuaded by minor challenges which boggle grand projects which it establishes and implements in rural areas. I am certain that this project will finally be accomplished and villagers will benefit from it,” he told reporters. Mr Ndombwe said if the needed resources were made available, the extension office in the district would complete the project. “The district extension office is committed to facilitating the green revolution. We are ready to show by deeds that it is possible to transform agriculture if we adapt modern ways of farming,” he said.

He insisted that irrigated agriculture, especially in areas which do not receive enough rainfall, was the sure way of increasing agricultural output. It is only through irrigation that farmers from such areas could produce more and earn more, he said.

“If farmers are empowered to use modern technologies, irrigation agriculture can make them perform wonders. People should now shun traditional tools and start looking at modern tools, such as tractors, as essential inputs to improving farming,” he said.

A farmer from the village, Mr Kaisi Jande said Mr Ndombwe’s remarks were correct but the government needed to lower the prices of the modern farming tools.

because many farmers cannot afford them currently.

“For many years small holder farmer has been earning little. This means that no one has been able to save enough to afford the modern farming tools such as tractors. There is a need to look into modalities to assist such farmer if the government wants to change his life,” he said.

He also insisted that the government should ensure that the extension officer do their work accordingly. He said experience show that extension officers were busy in their personal projects and they use little time, if any, to assist farmers improve farming.