Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Ministry of Agriculture has assured that it is well prepared to implement, in the next five years, all key priorities as outlined by President John Magufuli when inaugurating the 12th parliament in Dodoma recently.
Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Gerald Kusaya said that the ministry was currently putting in place and implementing numerous result- oriented strategies, seeking to see the vital economic sector improving to expectations by all Tanzanians.
Being one among the country’s major agricultural priorities, he said, the ministry has so far made crucial strides on revival and promotion of palm oil production within the country.
“After we managed to revive palm oil production in Kigoma region, the current focus is to extend the efforts to the remaining 17 regions with potential to grow such economic cash crop,” he explained.
He expressed plans by the ministry to improve cultivation of sugarcane processing factories in order to attain sugar adequacy in the country, but also, increasing hopes for the country to start exporting the sweetener outside.
In his speech to inaugurate the 12th parliament, President Magufuli unveiled priorities by the government to improve the agriculture sector for the coming five years, including major improvement in irrigation schemes, agricultural inputs and agro machineries, capital loans towards farmers as well as spearheading a war against post-harvest loss.
He also spoke on the government’s intention to establish different agricultural insurance schemes to assist farmers in the country.
According to him, the government will also work to construct and renovate crops warehouses in different areas with the target to expand the country’s crop reservation capacity from the current 190,000 tonnes to 501, 000 tonnes.
The president said the government will create and set a conducive environment to motivate and assist investors who wish to invest in the agricultural sector in order to fast track agro-processing industries within the country.
