DAR ES SALAAM: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan on Thursday laid emphasis on agricultural revolution, appealing to fellow leaders in Africa to use the continent's present state of challenges to create resilient, sustainable and inclusive food systems.
Addressing delegates who took part in hybrid form during the presidential summit at the Africa Food Systems Forum 2023, Dr Samia implored development partners, AGRF members and the private sector to support African countries in their initiatives to develop the agricultural sector, noting that the move was critical in strengthening food security in Africa and the whole world.
"It's estimated that over 283 million Africans live in starvation and hunger every day, while others contract malnutrition and diseases relating to nutrition...others die of hunger and starvation; this is not acceptable," stated President Samia held at the Julius Nyerere Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam, yesterday.
"The African continent should have solutions to the challenges on all food systems and insecurities facing the world...the continent is endowed with 65 per cent of all global arable land suitable for agriculture," she added, noting that emphasis should also be placed on youths and women to produce as per global demand.
Dr Samia noted that Africa is rich in water bodies, whereby 60 per cent of all great lakes come from Africa and lucrative mineral resources which can generate enough funds to be invested in agriculture and meet the global demand.
The Tanzanian leader stressed that, instead of relentlessly complaining, the continent should delve on coming up with result-oriented solutions in its endeavour to attain the green revolution.
For Africa to attain its goals, Samia said African leaders need to assess the continent's priorities, linking them to current demands in the bigger global picture.
Dr Samia said the continent has made several commitments to help it realise its goals including increasing financing of agriculture budgets, strengthening inclusive development and encouraging private sector engagement in the sector.
The pledges are in line to the execution of the Africa Agenda of comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme 2003 and the Malabo Convention of 2014 and among other strategies.
On fast-tracking and accelerating growth of the agricultural sector 2014 Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth, she said the guidelines and protocol demand African countries to allocate at least 10 per cent of budgets to finance its agriculture sector and increase its growth by at least 6 per cent on an annual basis.
Among the commitments include, creating employment opportunities for the youth by at least 30 per cent in the agricultural value chains as well as scale up agricultural services within the continent.
She outlined strategies being taken by Tanzania in creating its sustainable food systems including increasing the budget for agriculture by four folds from 294bn/- in 2021/2022 fiscal year to 970bn/- this financial year.
Tanzania was also implementing the Agenda 10/30, which aims to boost the agriculture sector to grow by 10 per cent come 2030.
"We are committed to penetrate in regional and international crop markets to meet the demand of food in various countries.
"Tanzania believes in its ability to become a food basket for crops like maize, rice, vegetables and cooking oil in the EAC (East African Community), SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) and among other countries globally, arriving at its goal to feed the world," she said.
In strengthening commercial agriculture, Tanzania was implementing infrastructure projects on facilitating transport and transportation of goods through roads and railways, the ocean and air.
Also, the country is implementing projects on energy, installation of sea route communication network technologies Tanzania Broadband System and Airtel 2African System.
President Samia noted that the initiatives aim to facilitate trade between Tanzania and other African countries to facilitate trade particularly through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) whose implementation has kicked off in seven countries including Cameron, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda and Tunisia.
In easing access to financing for agriculture, the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) has lowered the interest rates for agricultural loans by commercial banks by 9 per cent.
She said efforts to attract participation of more women and youths to engage in agriculture, livestock keeping and fisheries were continuing, coordinated under the Building a Better Tomorrow Youth Initiative Project (BBT-YIP) being implemented in various areas across the country.
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Tanzania Agro-Industrialisation programme focused on increasing productivity, improving mechanisation, irrigation farming and research and development of good seeds and animal breads and strengthening market systems were among initiatives.
"Tanzania is committed to collaborate with various stakeholders and development partners in venturing on various opportunities that aim to revolutionise food systems within the country," she stressed.
Thus, she said bringing forth recommendations to enable the continent to create inclusive, sustainable and resilient food systems as well as devise strategies on food and nutrition among African countries was key.
She also urged African governments to open up agriculture opportunities in commercial agriculture and financing to support food systems at national levels and modern ways particularly in production.
President Samia also extended recognition to the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) for the support they have been extending to boost the country's agriculture sector.
