Academics divided on 'Kilimo Kwanza' policy

[Mpogoro]

Academics divided on 'Kilimo Kwanza' policy

By Samuel Kamndaya

Academicians are divided on whether or not, Tanzania�s new initiative dubbed as �Kilimo Kwanza� (Agriculture First) is the right path towards a green revolution.

Those that spoke to The Citizen expressed mixed reactions as other questioned the uniqueness of the new initiative to all the failed past initiatives.

In his independent views, the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) lecturer, Dr Damian Gabagambi feels the new initiative has nothing new than the failed initiatives of Kilimo ni Uti wa Mgongo wa Uchumi� (Agriculture is the backbone of the economy), Kilimo ni uhai (Agriculture is life) and Kilimo cha kufa na kupona (Life or death agriculture).

Citing examples of Mexico, India and Malawi, Dr Gabagambi said developing agriculture requires not only well-crafted documents but also committed people to bringing about real change.

But Prof Andrew Temu also from SUA feels Kilimo Kwanza is designed uniquely.

�Kilimo Kwanza is the only initiative designed without force from outside... it is initiated by Tanzanians for Tanzanians... it does not seek to solicit funding from donors as is the case with most of the past initiatives,� he told The Citizen yesterday.

Since most of the past initiatives had influence of donors, transferring the initiatives from donors to Tanzanians used to create problems at the implementation level, he said.

Kilimo Kwanza has tried to provide a linkage between small-scale farmers and their medium and large-scale counterparts, something that was lacking in the past initiatives, urges Prof Temu.

�Instead of mobilising FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) into agriculture, we have, through Kilimo Kwanza, decided to sensitise local investors to engage themselves in large-scale commercial farming,� he said.

Earlier, Dr Adolph Mkenda who lectures at the University of Dar es Salaam had told The Citizen that he finds no problem with the initiative but rather with whether or not it (the initiative) will help to hasten implementation of the country�s existing agriculture development strategies.

�An initiative is, in itself, nothing than just a document meant to sensitise people to take on a certain activity... Kilimo Kwanza will therefore be meaningful if its intention is to add a new vigour to the implementation of the Agricultural Sector Development Strategy (ASDS),� he told The Citizen yesterday.

Tanzania approved the ASDS in 2001, with an objective of achieving a sustainable agricultural sector growth rate of five per cent per annum through transformation from subsistence to commercial agriculture.

According to Dr Mkenda, many of the issues highlighted in the strategy have been replicated in the Kilimo Kwanza document. �While I have nothing against Kilimo Kwanza, I think the best way to develop our agricultural sector is to sit down and take a stock of what we have achieved since the ASDS became operational,� he intoned.

But while the ASDS aims to achieve a five per cent per annum growth rate, the sector which employs an estimated 80 per cent of Tanzanians in the working age, grew by 3.3 per cent last year, a 0.7 per cent decline from the 2007 four per cent growth.

Responding to questions by Tanzanians living in India in New Delhi on the first day of his four-day official visit to India, Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda said Kilimo Kwanza is not a new concept parse, rather it is the desire by the fourth phase government to implore a new vigour in transforming agriculture.

The utmost aim, he said, is to allow the country to change from hand-hoe farming to farming using new technologies and tractors.

Among issues highlighted in Kilimo Kwanza include the need to increase public spending on agriculture from the current 6.4 per cent to not less than 10 per cent of the national budget. This is in accordance with what was agreed upon by Sadc (Southern Africa Development Community) members at the Maputo 2003 summit.

 

[Josh Michael]

Hakuna kitu hapa ni kauli zile zile lakini vituo karibu vyote vya utafiti wamefunga na pia hakuna nia ya dhati kuhusu kilimo

 

[Sophist]

Academics divided on 'Kilimo Kwanza' policy

By Samuel Kamndaya

Academicians are divided on whether or not, Tanzania�s new initiative dubbed as �Kilimo Kwanza� (Agriculture First) is the right path towards a green revolution.

Those that spoke to The Citizen expressed mixed reactions as other questioned the uniqueness of the new initiative to all the failed past initiatives.

In his independent views, the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) lecturer, Dr Damian Gabagambi feels the new initiative has nothing new than the failed initiatives of Kilimo ni Uti wa Mgongo wa Uchumi� (Agriculture is the backbone of the economy), Kilimo ni uhai (Agriculture is life) and Kilimo cha kufa na kupona (Life or death agriculture).

Citing examples of Mexico, India and Malawi, Dr Gabagambi said developing agriculture requires not only well-crafted documents but also committed people to bringing about real change.

But Prof Andrew Temu also from SUA feels Kilimo Kwanza is designed uniquely.

�Kilimo Kwanza is the only initiative designed without force from outside... it is initiated by Tanzanians for Tanzanians... it does not seek to solicit funding from donors as is the case with most of the past initiatives,� he told The Citizen yesterday.

Since most of the past initiatives had influence of donors, transferring the initiatives from donors to Tanzanians used to create problems at the implementation level, he said.

Kilimo Kwanza has tried to provide a linkage between small-scale farmers and their medium and large-scale counterparts, something that was lacking in the past initiatives, urges Prof Temu.

�Instead of mobilising FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) into agriculture, we have, through Kilimo Kwanza, decided to sensitise local investors to engage themselves in large-scale commercial farming,� he said.

Earlier, Dr Adolph Mkenda who lectures at the University of Dar es Salaam had told The Citizen that he finds no problem with the initiative but rather with whether or not it (the initiative) will help to hasten implementation of the country�s existing agriculture development strategies.

�An initiative is, in itself, nothing than just a document meant to sensitise people to take on a certain activity... Kilimo Kwanza will therefore be meaningful if its intention is to add a new vigour to the implementation of the Agricultural Sector Development Strategy (ASDS),� he told The Citizen yesterday.

Tanzania approved the ASDS in 2001, with an objective of achieving a sustainable agricultural sector growth rate of five per cent per annum through transformation from subsistence to commercial agriculture.

According to Dr Mkenda, many of the issues highlighted in the strategy have been replicated in the Kilimo Kwanza document. �While I have nothing against Kilimo Kwanza, I think the best way to develop our agricultural sector is to sit down and take a stock of what we have achieved since the ASDS became operational,� he intoned.

But while the ASDS aims to achieve a five per cent per annum growth rate, the sector which employs an estimated 80 per cent of Tanzanians in the working age, grew by 3.3 per cent last year, a 0.7 per cent decline from the 2007 four per cent growth.

Responding to questions by Tanzanians living in India in New Delhi on the first day of his four-day official visit to India, Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda said Kilimo Kwanza is not a new concept parse, rather it is the desire by the fourth phase government to implore a new vigour in transforming agriculture.

The utmost aim, he said, is to allow the country to change from hand-hoe farming to farming using new technologies and tractors.

Among issues highlighted in Kilimo Kwanza include the need to increase public spending on agriculture from the current 6.4 per cent to not less than 10 per cent of the national budget. This is in accordance with what was agreed upon by Sadc (Southern Africa Development Community) members at the Maputo 2003 summit.

Hoo! huyo profesa wa wapi asiyejua kuwa 'kilimo kwanza' ni agenda ya G8? Aidha hawezi kutofautisha kati ya kauli-mbiu na sera? Kilimo kwanza siyo sera, ni kauli-mbiu...tangu lini kauli-mbiu ikatekelezeka na kuleta maendeleo?

Can the Prof. please join the Kapuyas, Maghembes, Mukandaras and the like?

You have betrayed our nation and the people of Tanzania! Kuna siku mtalipa gharama za usaliti wenu kwa taifa!!!!!

 

[Makindi N]

Kilimo kwanza, kilimo ni uti wa uti wa mgongo etc lazima uwe na integrated approach ili kuitekeleza. Kuweka bajeti kubwa kwenye kilimo kwa sababu una ardhi wakati sector zinazoendana kama mazingira na maji ziko taabani ni uwendawazimu. Miaka 10 iliyopita driving from Dar Es Salaam misitu iiliyoshiba na maji mengi vilikuwa vinaonekana, something that have proven unsustainable recently. Njia nzima sasa hivi ni ule mlima wa SUA ndio "umejaa pori" njia nzima. Ukame, desertification etc viko kiwango cha juu sana.

Milimani zile channels zilizokuwa zinapeleka maji kwenye mito zote ni historia, watu wamejenga au shughuli nyingine ya binadamu. Recently nilienda Morogoro milimani, ofisi ya Mkuu wa mkoa wa Mkoa iko huko, naamini akiwa ofisini anaona kule milimani watu wanajenga kwa wingi ilhali ni miti ndio ilibidi ijae kwa wingi. Haimhitaji kuambiwa kwamba ndio chanzo cha ukosefu wa maji na uharibifu wa Mazingira.

Utafanikiwaje kilimo kwanza ilhali hata maji uliyonayo huyavuni, huyatumii ipasavyo na huwezi kuwa na kilimo cha umwagiliaji (eti mapene)? Vietnam ni kati ya nchi zinazoongoza kwa kilimo cha mchele, walichofanya baada ya kuwa na matatizo kama Tanzania iliyonayo hivi sasa, ni "kukaba" maji yote ya mito yanayomwagika baharini (South China Sea) au kupotea bure na hivyo kuwa na kilimo cha umwagiliaji. Sasa hivi wanalima, na njaa si tatizo kwao and they are exporting. Msiniambie wizara nzima ya Kilimo, Chakula na Umwagiliaji hawawezi ku-benchmark na successful practices na kuja sera nzuri, sitaki kuamini hilo.

Haikuhitaji kwenda shule kujua kwamba, ukitoa kodi ya gesi (kama ipo) au iko chini (ambacho si kweli maana naitumia kwangu) utaondoa au utasaidia sana mazingira. Sababu mtumiaji wa mkaa ni mkazi wa mjini ambae can afford it, mtu wa kijijini (wengi wao) anatumia kuni, tena anaokota porini ambazo zimekakuaka zenyewe (hakati). Ukiondoa kodi walio mjini ambao ndio waharibifu wa mazingira kwa kupitia matumizi ya mkaa watatumia gesi na hivyo kutunza mazingira yako na generation ijayo haitatuhukumu.

Wanasayansi washasema kabisa kwamba kuanzia miaka hii ya 2010, impacts haswa za global warming ndo tutayaona, na nchi zinazoendelea kama Tanzania ndo tutakaopata matatizo haswa. (on the visit kwenye milima Morogoro nilikua na don mmoja wa SUA ambaye alinithibitishia hilo pia). Mkulu ameongeza bajeti kwa Research and Development, thats good, ila tunataka matumizi ya kitaalamu yanayofanywa na na wataalamu, na si kuongeza bajeti and shelving outcomes/products za R & D.

Something needs to be done aggressively on this. The political will kama itakuwa ni ile ile ya kauli mbiu zilizopita za Kilimo ni uti ni mgongo, kufa na kupona hakuna kitakachofikiwa.

 

[Makindi N]

Kilimo kwanza, kilimo ni uti wa uti wa mgongo etc lazima uwe na integrated approach ili kuitekeleza. Kuweka bajeti kubwa kwenye kilimo kwa sababu una ardhi wakati sector zinazoendana kama mazingira na maji ziko taabani ni uwendawazimu. Miaka 10 iliyopita driving from Dar Es Salaam misitu iiliyoshiba na maji mengi vilikuwa vinaonekana, something that have proven unsustainable recently. Njia nzima sasa hivi ni ule mlima wa SUA ndio "umejaa pori" njia nzima. Ukame, desertification etc viko kiwango cha juu sana.

Milimani zile channels zilizokuwa zinapeleka maji kwenye mito zote ni historia, watu wamejenga au shughuli nyingine ya binadamu. Recently nilienda Morogoro milimani, ofisi ya Mkuu wa mkoa wa Mkoa iko huko, naamini akiwa ofisini anaona kule milimani watu wanajenga kwa wingi ilhali ni miti ndio ilibidi ijae kwa wingi. Haimhitaji kuambiwa kwamba ndio chanzo cha ukosefu wa maji na uharibifu wa Mazingira.

Utafanikiwaje kilimo kwanza ilhali hata maji uliyonayo huyavuni, huyatumii ipasavyo na huwezi kuwa na kilimo cha umwagiliaji (eti mapene)? Vietnam ni kati ya nchi zinazoongoza kwa kilimo cha mchele, walichofanya baada ya kuwa na matatizo kama Tanzania iliyonayo hivi sasa, ni "kukaba" maji yote ya mito yanayomwagika baharini (South China Sea) au kupotea bure na hivyo kuwa na kilimo cha umwagiliaji. Sasa hivi wanalima, na njaa si tatizo kwao and they are exporting. Msiniambie wizara nzima ya Kilimo, Chakula na Umwagiliaji hawawezi ku-benchmark na successful practices na kuja sera nzuri, sitaki kuamini hilo.

Haikuhitaji kwenda shule kujua kwamba, ukitoa kodi ya gesi (kama ipo) au iko chini (ambacho si kweli maana naitumia kwangu) utaondoa au utasaidia sana mazingira. Sababu mtumiaji wa mkaa ni mkazi wa mjini ambae can afford it, mtu wa kijijini (wengi wao) anatumia kuni, tena anaokota porini ambazo zimekakuaka zenyewe (hakati). Ukiondoa kodi walio mjini ambao ndio waharibifu wa mazingira kwa kupitia matumizi ya mkaa watatumia gesi na hivyo kutunza mazingira yako na generation ijayo haitatuhukumu.

Wanasayansi washasema kabisa kwamba kuanzia miaka hii ya 2010, impacts haswa za global warming ndo tutayaona, na nchi zinazoendelea kama Tanzania ndo tutakaopata matatizo haswa. (on the visit kwenye milima Morogoro nilikua na don mmoja wa SUA ambaye alinithibitishia hilo pia). Mkulu ameongeza bajeti kwa Research and Development, thats good, ila tunataka matumizi ya kitaalamu yanayofanywa na na wataalamu, na si kuongeza bajeti and shelving outcomes/products za R & D.

Something needs to be done aggressively on this. The political will kama itakuwa ni ile ile ya kauli mbiu zilizopita za Kilimo ni uti ni mgongo, kufa na kupona hakuna kitakachofikiwa.

 

[Zhule]

China wanalisha 22% ya watu duniani. vitabu vinavyotumika kwa wanafunzi wao wa fani zote vyuo vikuu (lakini siyo kwa wapita njia maake wanashangaa wanafanya nini kwao kama lugha yao hawafahamu) Vimeandikwa "towards 21st century". Humo wameonyesha wako wapi na nchi zilizo endele hasa Marekani ndo kipimo chao wako wapi na nini wanatakiwa kufanya karne ya 21. Kwaiyo university zao wamepewa jukumu la kufanya research ili kuja na solutions za challenges za karne ya 21. Ninavyo juwa mbegu au mche bora kwa nchi nyingine haiwezi kuperform the same kwa tanzania kwa sababu soil chemistry yetu, hali ya hewa, culture etc ni tofauti .Nimemwona Waziri mkuu anatembelea nchi mbali mbali tatizo langu ni je vyuo vikuu vyetu vimetumika kuanisha matatizo ya kilimo chetu na kupendekeza solutions au research zetu hazipo na kama zipo serikali haioni umuhimu wa kuzitumia. Nadhani Prof Temu hajawa mkweli kwani ukimuuliza kwenye hiyo kilimo kwanza reseach outcomes za SUA, UDSM na vyuo vingine ni ngapi vimejumuishwa humo ni hakuna. Imeibuka tu kwa sababu ya uchanguzi mwakani

 

[MchunguZI]

Hoo! huyo profesa wa wapi asiyejua kuwa 'kilimo kwanza' ni agenda ya G8? Aidha hawezi kutofautisha kati ya kauli-mbiu na sera? Kilimo kwanza siyo sera, ni kauli-mbiu...tangu lini kauli-mbiu ikatekelezeka na kuleta maendeleo?

Can the Prof. please join the Kapuyas, Maghembes, Mukandaras and the like?

You have betrayed our nation and the people of Tanzania! Kuna siku mtalipa gharama za usaliti wenu kwa taifa!!!!!

Common scenario you would find if you interview academicians. Whatever you want to know, to some of them is interpreted as a good platform to show their obedience and appreciation to the government. Why? You never know, next time you may be nominated to a ministerial post.

SUA is the only agricultural University in the country. Was there any consultation for better formulation of this baseless declaration?

Provided no policy was formulated to support Kilimo Kwanza, this is just another rhetoric.

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

Hivi, hawa watu wanakumbuka kitu kinaitwa "Azimio la Iringa"?

 

[S.M.P2503]

Kilimo Kwanza bila njenzo kwanza ni kilimo mfu hata kabla ya kuzaliwa..
I nafaa kwanza vifaa vya kisasa vya kilimo kama hivi hapa [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODUUuzJxMqA[/ame]
au [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYkehDo2dhA[/ame]
vijazwe na ndio waanze kuimba wimbo wa kilimo kwanza.
Vifaa hivyo vinavyotengenezwa na kubota ni chini ya dolla 8000 za marekani... na wanaweza kununua vingi tu kwa mapinduzi ya kilimo kama cha mpunga...