Author: MEDDY MULISA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Civic United Front (CUF) presidential candidate, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, has said if elected, he will ensure that coffee crop secures reliable markets abroad.
He promised to give farmers alternative means of generating income to help them improve their economy, especially in the agricultural sector.
Prof Lipumba made the pledges during a campaign rally held at Muleba Township on Wednesday.
The presidential hopeful said he will ensure that farmers were paid attractive prices for their crops by finding suitable markets.
He noted that the performance of the coffee sub-sector is hindered by many factors, from production, post-harvest and marketing.
“The key challenges experienced by smallholder farmers include poor extension services, high costs of inputs, adulterated inputs, low coffee price, and low level of youth engagement in coffee production. “All these challenges have contributed to low coffee productivity, poor coffee quality, low farm gate prices and coffee racketeering,” he said.
Prof Lipumba said once voted, the CUF-led government will also address health problems facing people, especially those at the grassroots level.
“Kagera Region is among ten regions in the country where the rate of stunting stood at 39.4 per cent, compared to the national average of 34 per cent. “Once voted, the CUF-led government will seriously address health problems facing people, especially those at the grassroots level,” he said.
Expounding further, he said Tanzania is among countries with high stunting reduction globally.
It remains important for the country to continue investing in nutrition to address chronic malnutrition which still affects about three million children.
He explained that lack of affordable quality health care continues to trap many in poverty, saying further that proper collection of local revenues and prudence in spending would ensure the country rid itself of donor dependency in the near future.
