TNBC DISCUSSES VALUE ADDITION IN THREE SECTORS

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AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Tanzania National Business Council’s task force on agriculture, fisheries and livestock development has reviewed progress made in adding value to farm, fisheries and livestock products in order to penetrate domestic and global markets.

The chairman of the task force, Mr Gerald Kusaya, said adding value to products in the three sectors was important in producing quality produce within the country and in getting reliable local and foreign markets.

Mr Kusaya, who is also permanent secretary in the ministry of agriculture, said the task force would meet private sector stakeholders in the agricultural sector in order to create good environment that would promote reforms in the sector.

He said the task force had to ensure rightful and strong involvement of the private sector in agricultural production.

“There have been serious challenges relating to storage after harvests, quality seeds and pesticides.  We have resolved to eliminate these challenges in order to add value to agricultural produce and increase farmers’ income,” he said.

The chairman said task force had interest in knowing the impact made by the empowerment money sent to districts to promote grassroots entrepreneurial projects run by youths and women. The government, he explained, through district councils has been providing soft loans to youth and women groups to enable them to engage in viable economic agricultural ventures.

The TNBC Executive Secretary, Dr Godwill Wanga said TNBC was committed to ensuring the public and private sector worked closely together in order to build an inclusive and empowering national economy that would speed up development.

He also said the government was cooperating with the private sector in creating an enabling environment that was friendly to business and investment, adding that the government had built good reliable roads to facilitate quick movement of agricultural inputs and crops to local and external markets.

Dr Wanga said there was need to establish cold rooms at airports and harbours to preserve farmers’ horticultural produce awaiting export.

At the moment, he said, farmers suffered big losses because a lot of horticultural products went bad for lack of cold stores.

The Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX) Chief Executive, Mr Godfrey Malekano, said would continue to create good and open environment in the crop marketing processes with the aim of ensuring the farmer got real revenue from his investment. He also pledged that the TMX would ensure farmers get reliable markets.

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