Chimbuvu
JF-Expert Member
- Jul 17, 2012
- 4,401
- 2,343
Indicators for the Failure of the Kilimo Kwanza Initiative
Proposed Way Forward for Kilimo Kwanza
Productivity and growth in agriculture may be boosted by:
Recommendations and Concluding Remarks
Tanzania is endowed with abundant natural resources but lacks mechanisms for utilizing them effectively for micro and macro development. Invitation to foreign and local companies to invest in key economic sectors is yet to yield expected results, for instance, incentives and tax evasions are so high. Therefore, little is obtained to enhance the national income. The government is therefore urged to diversify the economy and find more viable and alternative sources of revenues for economic development.
- Low productivity of land, labour and other inputs.
- Underdeveloped irrigation schemes.
- Inadequate agricultural technical support services.
- Poor rural infrastructure hindering effective rural-urban linkages.
- Infections and outbreaks of crop, animal pests and diseases.
- Erosion of national resources base and environmental degradation.
- Lack of entrepreneurial skills to turn non-farm activities into viable sources of livelihoods and foreign exchange.
- Land conflicts due to poor enforcement of land laws and policies.
Proposed Way Forward for Kilimo Kwanza
Productivity and growth in agriculture may be boosted by:
- Improvements of rural road networks and irrigation infrastructure, including rain water harvesting;
- Improvements of storage facilities for agricultural crops and livestock products;
- Assistance of farmers in identifying reliable markets;
- Strengthening the capacity of the Strategic Grain Reserve to buy and store sufficient grains consistent with national food requirements;
- Ensuring timely availability of inputs for arable agriculture and livestock farming, including improved seeds, fertilizers, agro-chemicals and veterinary medicines, and to ensure that the Agricultural Input Fund is sufficiently funded;
- Giving priority in the allocation of farm implements and other inputs to the major food crop production regions i.e. Mbeya, Ruvuma, Rukwa, Iringa, Morogoro and Kigoma;
- Identifying and surveying land for large-scale food crop farming so as to take advantage of existing opportunity in both local, regional and world markets' demands;
- Supporting research institutions to develop improved/genetic-modified seeds and encourage other institutions to scale-up seed production;
- Reduction of unsustainable forest harvesting;
- Establishing or reviving agro-processing industries, with private sector participation;
- Improving access to credit and fast-track setting up of a special window for lending to agricultural ventures through the Tanzania Investment Bank (TIB); and
- Establishment of Agricultural Development Bank.
Recommendations and Concluding Remarks
Tanzania is endowed with abundant natural resources but lacks mechanisms for utilizing them effectively for micro and macro development. Invitation to foreign and local companies to invest in key economic sectors is yet to yield expected results, for instance, incentives and tax evasions are so high. Therefore, little is obtained to enhance the national income. The government is therefore urged to diversify the economy and find more viable and alternative sources of revenues for economic development.