Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Gross National Income (GNI) is expected to harvest more contribution from the livestock sector, with the rise in meat export from 692.36 tonnes in 2019/20, worth 1.3bn US dollars, to 2,154 tonnes in 2020/21, worth 4.65bn US dollars.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa noted that the 2020/21 export revenues were recorded by last February, about four months before the end of this fiscal year.
During the 2019/20 financial year the livestock sector contributed to the national income by 7.4 per cent, up from 7.2 per cent in 2018/19.
“Improved business of livestock products within and outside the country was upon the government’s efforts to advocate investments in processing industries for livestock products, Mr Majaliwa noted in his speech this week in the Parliament when presenting budget estimates for his office.
He argued that the meat processing factories have led to adding value and quality which enabled the country to penetrate more into international markets.
By February this year, the country’s meat production jumped to 738,166 tonnes from 701,679 tonnes in 2019/20.
On other hand, there was establishment of new leather industries including ACE leather in Morogoro and Kilimanjaro International Leather Industry Co.
Those industries have contributed to adding value to cattle skin produced in the country along with creating new jobs.
It is expected that the new investments would boost cattle skin production from current 9 million square feet to 25 million square feet.
The late former President John Magufuli, when inaugurated the 12th Parliament in November last year, said: “livestock is fortune, though our country is blessed with a huge population of cattle, still a contribution of this sector in improving the lives of pastoralists and to the economy was unsatisfactory.”
The Premier further noted that during the next financial year, the government would continue strengthening management of the sector and encouraging modern livestock keeping as well as motivating more processing industries in order to ensure that the nation benefits from its huge population of livestock.
Some of the measures to be taken are improving water accessibility, animal feeds availability and building more capacity to veterinary colleges.
On fisheries, Mr Majaliwa stated that the government has taken steps to revive the Tanzania Fisheries Corporation (TAFICO) in order to make the sector also contribute more to the national income.
“These steps are from the fact that the fisheries sector also has capacity to make a huge contribution to the national income, alleviating poverty and reducing unemployment rate,” he emphasized.
In the 2020/21 the government has embarked on efforts to revive the TAFICO, including constructing a fishing vessel and fishing port.
So far, feasibility study for construction of the port and business plan for reviving the company are complete.
He assured that during the next fiscal year the government would revive the company and continue with construction of the port.
The aim is to make the country self-satisfied with fish and export the surplus to increase revenues coming from sale of fish outside the country for boosting the economy and creating more employments.
