Tanzania has a unique
opportunity to become a major exporter of food crops, especially maize and
rice, to the eastern Africa market as it is expected that the region will experience
a shortage of food in the next decade. It has been revealed.
Speaking to invited
dignitaries during the Food Security Workshop in Dar es Salaam yesterday, USAID
Mission Director Sharon Cromer’s said that the regional market is expected to
be in a food deficit for at least the next decade and that provides
opportunities for Tanzanian food crops.
“The export ban was not
effective in controlling exports. In fact, the ban discouraged production,
limited the market opportunities of farmers, and prevented Tanzanian from
benefiting from exports to the region,” she said.
She underscored that the
USAID intends to support the government of Tanzania in policy reforms initiated
under the new alliance with assistance to the operationalization of the Big
Results now.
Cromer’s added that USAID in collaboration with
Strengthening
Emergency Response Abilities (SERA), well known as the SERA Policy Project conducted a research studies on
food security, the research showed the dietary diversity in Tanzania and the
need for additional research on the cost of a typical food basket in each
region.
She further said that the research revealed that
warehouse capacity of the National Food Reserve Agency is 241,000 tons only
about 100,000 tons of maize is needed to cover a shortfall occurring once in
every five years.
On his part, Director of USAID Feed the Future; Tom
Hobgood said that Public Private Partnership (PPP) is vital for the
agricultural development in Tanzania and Africa at large.
“The government should pave the way for the all
agricultural stakeholders to engage in planning and decision making process to
foster the agricultural development goals,’ he lamented.
He noted that private sector investment in the
agriculture sector is an engine for social and economic development in any
given society or nation.
Ends
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