Agency embarks on tractor project to improve agricultural production
Villagers admire a tractor tilling a farm. NDC plans to sell tractors to every ward in the country. photo | file
What you need to know:
- Tanzania considers agriculture as the backbone of its economy.
- Nonetheless, the sector still faces challenges galore, which include the use of outdated farming implements.
- It is nearly six decades since Tanzania became independent, but most of its farmers are still toiling in the fields with the hand hoe, and have little to show for months of back breaking work.
Tanzania considers agriculture as the backbone of its economy.
Nonetheless, the sector still faces challenges galore, which include the use of outdated farming implements.
It is nearly six decades since Tanzania became independent, but most of its farmers are still toiling in the fields with the hand hoe, and have little to show for months of back breaking work.
According to the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), until 2010, Tanzania had only 17,000 tractors and World Bank figures show that the number of tractors to poor countries stands at 1,500 to 2,000 per 100 kilometres of arable land.
This situation has triggered the National Development Corporation (NDC) to initiate a project to sell tractors to farmers in order to improve agricultural productivity.
In an interview with Rosemary Mirondo, the NDC director, Prof Damian Gabagambi, says they plan to sell tractors to every ward before going to the village level
Question: When did this agency come into existence and how many projects are currently being implemented?
Answer: NDC is a community-based organisation since the colonial era and its roles have been changing over time since independence. NDC is an organisation that started as a sub-department like Sido, Alaf, Ubungo Farms Implements (UFI), Texco, Tanzania Oxygen Ltd (TOL) and Special Investment Authority (EPZA).
The government through the Council of Ministers No.6 of 1996 decided that the organisation should continue to exist and be given a strategic plan.
NDC was assigned three roles that include establishing and developing core industries, whose products are raw materials for other industries.
Secondly, to support the government’s initiatives in investment in collaboration with the private sector and closing the gap of economic opportunities that the private sector had failed.
NDC, therefore, has several strategic projects in various sectors of the economy such as Mchuchuma (metal), Mbinga- Ruvuma (coal), KMTC (tires), assembling tractors, microbes, pharmaceutical industries and rubber fields.
What is your opinion on the tractor project?
The project started after considering the government’s intention of increasing agricultural production, which is key in food security and supply of raw materials for industries. However, the current state of agricultural production cannot meet industrial demands.
Low agricultural productivity has been largely contributed by poor farming methods and the use of outdated tools like hand hoes. Tractors use is only 14 per cent because it is expensive and not easily available.
We have started a comprehensive plan to sell tractors across the country and through this programme we want to end the use of hand hoes.
This project is called a One ward, One Tractor (Owot). Tanzania has more than 3,000 wards, if the tractors are not be enough, we will start another project --One Village, One Tractor (Ovot).
How much money will this project cost?
This project will cost a total of Sh124 billion. We will first bring in 2,400 tractors, 1,300 oxen-driven plows and 1,100 harrows.
Secondly, we will build a trailer and eight stations to service the tractors in the country and educate Tanzanians on how to operate the tractors.
Since this is a big project, we have started our first trials in Shinyanga, Kiteto, Kilosa, Ulanga and Katavi.
Have you started selling the tractors?
We started selling these tractors since last June and we have so far sold 25 tractors, but we are looking forward to selling 100 tractors per year.
This season, we will begin with experiments in Shinyanga, Manyara, Morogoro, Rukwa and Ruvuma regions where we expect to sell 70 tractors.
Thereafter, we will go across the country depending on the demand and success of our trials. The aim is to make tractors available easily to farmers so that they can expand their farms and increase production. The farmers will be required to pay 25 per cent and will be given two years to complete payments.
We have conducted a research and found out that our colleagues sell at least 200 tractors per year.
In general, we will sell 100 tractors per year and it will take 24 years to sell 2,400 tractors. That is why we come up with a special rental plan and sale.
We sell them via up front payment, borrowing through financial institutions or sponsorship by employers.
Prices vary, depending on the type of tractor. We have six types of tractors - 50HP 2WD, 65HP 2WD, 75HP 2WD, 75HP 4WD, 85HP 2WD, and 85HP 4WD.
Have you done an assessment of the loss to avoid unwanted people getting into the project?
We have indeed evaluated the losses and detected the presence of fraudsters. For example, some say they have not plowed or they have been robbed or failed to repair the tractor. These will be discontinued from the programme.
So, we have come up with a tracking system to show the tractors’ trends, fuel consumption, manipulation and rehabilitation programme. We also have the ability to turn off the tractor from our station in Dar es Salaam.
The tractors will not be the property of the village, ward or council.
