The government has acknowledged that the usage of poor agricultural technologies, unfavorable weather conditions and poor infrastructure are some of the factors responsible for food insecurity in the region.
Director of National Food Security in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives Karim Mtambo said the approval in a speech read on his behalf by the Food Security Deputy Director Ombaeli Lemweli during the opening of the National Consultative Workshop of Food Prices Trends Analysis and Policy Options for Eastern Africa project supported by the Association of Strengthening Agriculture Research for Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) in Dar es Salaam.
Mtambo said it is undisputed fact that most countries in Eastern and Central Africa region are facing persistent problems of food shortage.
Even a country like Tanzania which is more fortunate than most others in the region is still not one hundred percent self sufficient due to poor agricultural technologies, unfavorable weather conditions and poor infrastructure, he said.
According to him recent global of rapid urbanization and escalating food prices have exuberated the problem of food insecurity in the country, hence the government is challenged into finding solutions of high food prices.
He noted that findings of ASARECA will facilitate understanding causes, impacts and available inputs to the problems of food prices. Adding that, I have already reiterate the commitment of the government in supporting this project since it requires high quality data on aspects of food production, market prices for various food commodities as well as fuel and input prices especially fertilizers.
However, he called upon custodian data staffs of relevant governmental agencies and departments to periodically avail data as it will be useful for Economic and Social Economic Foundation (ESRF) and ASARECA researchers.
For her part the ESRF Senior Research Officer Dr Donatila Kaino said the project is designed to adequately attain the overall goal to enhance food security in the East African region by enhancing early warnings and policy response mechanisms to mitigate the consequences of food insecurity.
this unique research project allows synergy between ESRF and other regional centers of excellence such as Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC) in Uganda, Ethiopia Development Research Institute (EDRI), University of Nairobi Kenya (UoN), East Africa Grain Council (EAGC), Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) and National University of Rwanda (NUR) to take part in the project, Dr Kaino noted.
She said the project has added value on the on-going government initiatives such as Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programs (CAADP), Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) and Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in improving agricultural growth and food insecurity.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN