A CHAT FROM LONDON: TZ, agriculture, progress and London’s investment talks

On the day Tanzania’s minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Co-operatives, Eng. Christopher Chiza, began his official UK visit, headline news was that British homes are annually throwing 15 million tons of food away.

A TV bulletin that Monday evening said the average is at least £700 worth of grub per household. That is almost two million shillings per family. While meals are chucked away, the UK National Farmers Union called on support for British grown foods.

This is because UK produces less than two thirds of its own provisions (a fall of 75 per cent since 1991) and the NFU charged country “chases cheapest food from overseas that ends in us having scandals like the horse meat.” For those who forgot. Horses are regarded as pets, sporting mules and human friends in US and UK-therefore, culturally, it is taboo to eat their meat. The scandal of buying foreign imported horse meat that was camouflaged as beef is as big as dog meat being sold across East Africa. Oh yeah. I am not exaggerating. It was that serious...

Well then. Three things to reflect, dear reader. First, our minister is on an official visit because our two countries are trading partners and foreign investors are being encouraged. That is good news for both sides, but especially for us. We shall soon see why.

Secondly, Britain like most countries in the cold, northern hemisphere loves naturally grown foods from tropical nations.

This is a fact observed in supermarkets across Europe- pineapples and mangoes from Cote d’Ivoire and Costa Rica, oranges and tangerines from South Africa, Israel and Spain (which has a hotter climate) while melons, vegetables, bananas and papayas are sold by Caribbean islands, Brazil, South East Asia, Kenya and so on. Tanzania used to export green beans.

Used to.

A question. Why – we who have favourable weather and other factors (such as a willing working personnel, made up of mostly semi-illiterate peasants and majority females) do not export but import food, use hoes and rely on subsistence farming? These are the realities of our global differences. As some throw away meals in large amounts, others who can produce quantities (and qualities) straggle, struggle and import.

Minister Chiza (who modestly told me he is actually not a professor nor a PhD holder as some journalists erroneously say, but just an engineer) met world wide technocrats, investors and business people at the Reform Club in Pall Mall. This is traditionally a members’ only venue ticking at the heart of London- since the mid 1800s.

I’ll give you a snap shot of who was in attendance. There were silent attendees from big companies like Sainsbury- UK’s biggest supermarket or a West African lady who said she admires Tanzania- which “can be a leader in improving Africa’s agriculture. “

Then the speakers. Some of the most respected think- tanks in the government e.g. Professor Peter Msolla, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee in the said ministry. And Henry Bellingham, chair of the “UK-Tanzania Agriculture Investment Roundtable” (as the meeting was titled), representing North West Norfolk, as an MP for 26 years now. Mr Bellingham was cordial in the way he presented each speaker, explaining their attributes with few, melodic words. Of Professor Msolla: “we shall listen to him with rapt interest,” or Ambassador Peter Kallaghe “a true servant of your country,” whose ambition is “to make Tanzania rely on trade rather than aid.” Rachel Turner of UK’s Director East and Central Africa DFID (expressed support for new investment in Africa) was lauded and presented accordingly.

Quan Lee, a Vietnamese expert on rice growing contributed to the discussions towards the end while Geoffrey Kirenga (of SAGCOT) explained how Tanzania needs to stop importing vital crops (that we can naturally grow) like rice, maize and sugar.

Yes, it was a busy afternoon. But what defined the day? It was the Karibu Tanzania vibe. Welcome to Tanzania to do business and invest. Our agriculture needs to commercialise and improve through technology, irrigation, needs changing gear.

How?

Business the call, the whistle, the drum, the solution. But business like a deep enjoyable sleep, loves peace, stability and freedom. What about land grabbing many doubted. The honourable minister had to explain again and again. It is all lies. A newspaper wrote that the government has grabbed three million hectares which “has been recycled by NGOs and repeated” Assuring the meeting which was hosted by DMA (developing markets association) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, minister Chiza said. “Meet and engage with us and the right institutions.”

Later he told me information is the issue. Lack of information about Tanzania is part of the problem, or so; I pondered too. Remember that many overseas still confuse this region of East Africa with Tasmania?

The writer filed this analysis from London. He can be reached on Email: [email protected] or Web: www.freddymacha.com