AfricaPress-Tanzania: PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has called on Tanzanian youths to turn to vegetable farming instead of focusing on traditional crops such as maize and rice if they are focused on earning much money.
He made the call while addressing Namahema Village residents in Ruangwa District yesterday, during an inspection tour of the on-going construction of a market for vegetables produced in Mnindu Basin in Lindi Region.
He decried the tendency of the youth to waste precious time on chit-chats at so-called jobless corners while they could spend the precious time by engaging in productive activities.
He remarked: “Vegetable farming pays a lot and whoever needs money will get it from the farm. I would like to call upon everyone here to engage in farming activities.
But doing so doesn’t meet we should focus entirely on traditional crops such as maize, rice and cassava.
We can turn to vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, carrot and other greens as they pay a lot.”
Mr Majaliwa said the government had allocated 600mil/- for constructing markets and increasing production in Mpumbe, Mnindu, Chiepo and Chikalala for youth and women to engage in vegetable farming throughout the year regardless of the season and earn more money.
In another development, the premier has instructed the construction committee of the project to immediately rectify the defects caused by the procedural violations of the construction of government buildings.
He has asked the project manager, Mr Kalistus Mnunduma, trainer at Nkowe Vocational College, to ensure they fix extra doors in the building to enhance the safety of those entering and leaving the market.
Mr Majaliwa’s decision was prompted by the discovery that construction of the market started by using sketches instead of construction maps.
He laid emphasis on four aspects. First, to drill the doors, secondly, fix stalls so that people can sell their products in a clean environment and not allow people to display goods on the floor as it is not healthy.
Thirdly, install a water pump to facilitate water distribution to a wide area. And fourthly, set aside a retail area so that people in the neighbourhood can benefit from the project.
He also instructed the District Agriculture Officer, Mr Harun Kiara, to ensure that they provide horticultural education to youth so that they can start with a few terraces, as well as commence a programme to meet with them and women to shed light on how the Mnindu Basin can be used for agriculture.
Earlier, the Acting District Executive Director, Mr Selemani Mrope, said the project worth 127mil/- had so far received 50.8mil/-, equivalent to 40 per cent.
Mr Mrope said construction of the market which started on May 25, 2020, was estimated to cost 25mil/- and so far they had spent 18.2mil/-.
The project is expected to be completed by August 30, this year.
He said the Mkowe Technical College was implementing a project to increase production and marketing for smallholder vegetable and fruit growers in the Mnindu Basin with funding from the Tanzania Education Authority (TEA) through the Skills Development Fund (SDF) project.
“This project aims to facilitate a secure market, increase employment and productivity, increase income for the community, secure access to nutritious food and improve irrigation infrastructure for horticultural crops,” he said.
Mr Mrope further said that so far, they have completed the work of preparing a curriculum and guidelines to train all vegetable gardeners at a cost of 4m/- and that they are renovating one class that will be used to provide education to all gardeners at a cost of 4.2mil/-.
