Tanzania, FAO for stronger partnership to improve agriculture in the country
The Government of Tanzania and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have reiterated their commitment for a stronger partnership to improve the agriculture sector in the country.
Longtime partnership
Speaking in Dar es Salaam on February 22 during a courtesy call to the Minister of Agriculture, Japhet Hasunga, the FAO Representative to Tanzania, Fred Kafeero, said that the UN Agency has been working with the Tanzania Government for many years now towards improving the agriculture sector in the country.
“Tanzania has been a member of FAO since 1962 and as a technical agency of the United Nations responsible for agriculture, we’ve been working together in a number of areas around agriculture including policy and legal framework, crop production, livestock, fisheries, natural resources and disaster preparedness and management,” he said.
Mr. Kafeero said that the current partnership is guided by the 2017-2020 Country Programming Framework which sets out priority areas to guide FAO’s support to the Government of Tanzania bringing together innovative international best practices and global standards with national and regional expertise.
On his side Minister Hasunga appreciated FAO’s support said that currently the Government was working on the establishment of the farmers’ database that will enable it to know the numbers of farmers in the country and the different kinds of farming activities they’re engaging in for better planning and support.
“It is good to note that FAO and other development partners are working with the National Bureau of Statistics in order to carry out national agriculture census for the country. The statistics are crucial as they will enable us to plan well,” he said.
Need for FAO's support
He also said that his Ministry is now working on strategies for encouraging the private sector and the donor community to support the implementation of the Agricultural Sector Development Pogramme Phase II and that he would like to seek FAO’s support in its advocacy role for increased investment in the agriculture sector.
“We also want to review the Agriculture Policy framework including developing tools for its implementation including the implementation strategy and legislation,” Minister Hasunga disclosed.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture is working with the Ministry of Finance to finalize a Crop Insurance Policy that will protect farmers from risks associated with their farming activities.
The United Republic of Tanzania joined FAO in 1962, and in 1977 FAO established a country office. Over the years, FAO has been working closely with the Government of Tanzania by providing policy advice, credible, up-to-date information and technical expertise on agriculture, food security, nutrition and natural resource management.