Tanzania can be a world leader in so many issues

As a Tanzanian, I am extremely proud of my country, and I believe that my nation is one of the greatest in the world in terms of abundant resources among others.

Despite our nation comprising over 120 tribes but we are bonded together by culture, love, and the will that we must propel our land to a great future. Patriotism is a call of duty for me and every other Tanzanian.

Although we have different opinions, political divides, and ideologies, at the end of the day, our “Tanzanianness” rules supreme. This is the national heritage, our founding fathers, Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere and Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume, bestowed upon us. They gave us hope that we have a great future. Thus, we must teach the youth and children about our nation and where we want to go. We need to instill in these younger generations, to have faith in our nation, and work hard to realize our individual and national potentials, which more often than not are intertwined.

Today, I would like to focus my attention on what the minister of Agriculture, Mr Hussein Bashe, has been preaching “Kilimo ni biashara”-agriculture is business and our “Tanzanianness” in the sector. There is a great potential along with a good number of crop value chains that our dear motherland can become top exporters and help solve the issue of income poverty among the masses.

Once upon a time, many years before the Tanzania nation was born, the Zanzibar used to be the world leader in selling spices hence known as the Spice Island of Africa. Yes, in the 1800s, Zanzibar was the biggest clove producer in the world! What a glorious past, which can be replicated in several crops in the isles and the mainland.

In the isles, we still have spices. In many parts of Tanzania Mainland, we have food crops like maize, wheat, rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, beans, and sorghum. These crops can make Tanzania the world leader only if their value chains are greatly improved to meet the quality of the export market. We had cash crops like cotton, coffee, pyrethrum, sugar cane, and tobacco (I don’t like it).

Did you know that Tanzania is the number one bean exporter in Africa? Ask anyone knowledgeable about agriculture exports in Tanzania, for instance, the CEO of SAGCOT, Geoffrey Kirenga. I quote him “Tanzania annually exports over a million metric tonnes of beans to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, DRC & India. In the recent past, annual export value is often in excess of $200 million”.

Tanzania is also a leading producer of rice in East Africa and ranked second in Sub-Saharan Africa. Hon Bashe told a meeting in Dubai early in the year that “Rice in Tanzania is fast becoming one of the major suppliers of grains in the world. Currently, we are the 4th largest producer of rice in Africa and 2nd largest in Eastern & Southern Africa; we aim to be the bread-basket of the world.” If that dream of becoming one of the bread-baskets of the world is realized, the sector will employ the majority of our youth; consequently will reduce income poverty among the masses. Yes, we need to propel the agricultural sector to the centre stage of the world by feeding the world!

Likewise, we are the market leaders of maize in the region, also doing well in cassava. All we need is to increase production and exports. After independence, Tanzania used to produce about one-third of the sisal in the world. Public records indicate that in the cotton subsector in 2004/2005, Tanzania was the 6th largest producer in Africa. Therefore, cash crops can be at the top of the world.