FROM JUMA NGOMUO: Lets combining our love of Farming and Agriculture with an acquired professional Business Approaches

WHAT ROLE DO WE REAL PLAY?

“Seventy percent of employment in Africa comes from agriculture, so you can argue that, in Africa, agriculture and economy are synonymous. In effect, you cannot modernize the economy in Africa without starting with agriculture.” Prof. Calestous Juma’s The New Harvest. It is of this case that we find different approaches to improve Agriculture and Farming in Tanzania Growing. One cant hide the information that we have so many such kind of movement and much more qualified personnel in the sector who are employed by private and public institutions in different projects for sector management.

We can also have records of how many learning institutions we have, the plenty arable land, professionals and research centers, researchers, business reporters and others.......

The big question is WHY African Countries include Tanzania we are not self sufficient in food products and we keep on importing  tons of food products from other countries because of food shortage. Is this the issue of irony that "WE CONSUME WHAT WE DONT PRODUCE AND WE PRODUCE WHAT WE DONT CONSUME"....what is the missing point here?

If One follow well the issue of Agriculture Transformation we cant hide the fact that though we focus to small holder farmer whom we need to transform them and make their sector sustainable the QUESTION is "WHERE DO WE WANT THIS SMALL FARMER TO BE AND WHEN?!!! Is our love to Agriculture true......

For my side i now realize that the First Five thematic areas of Agrihub Tanzania are to be advocated practically and we members of Agrihub need to join our resources to address them not only as Agri hub BUT also join others in making sure that we address issues of LAND, FINANCE, ADVISORY SERVICES, MARKET, INPUT and Effective regulations in Farming so as to promote Farmers Entrepreneurship. Recently there has been a lot of advocacy issues as those brought by ANSAF, ACT, TPSF, TGFA, AMSHA, POLICY FORUM, RUDI, SNV, SUGECO, AGRIPF and other international Organizations and PSOs.

One of the clear picture realized in the recently TGFA stakeholders meeting is that many PSOs and CSOs do not have clear coordination among themselves ( We workers of these PSO and CSOs) and this led to duplication of issues and project. ie One beneficiary reported differently by different donor funded project and this has establish a mechanism which farmers now do not love farming but they do so so that they can be indirectly attend trainings, workshops, get assistance in FFS and demo plots setting.

NOW THE OTHER QUESTION IS if we want to improve the love to farming and Agriculture where do we want this lover to be ie. to increase productivity let say. Will that be realized by intensifying the sector or increase the size of land? Provide them with more market opportunities? Giving them GMO and Industrial fertilizers and inputs? Shift them to Organic Farming? Improve their level of performance in Agriculture or what. 

Here then in Tanzania come the promise of establishing Agriculture Development Bank which will start by appointment of some representatives, at the same time we find some Institutions conducted forum to address LAND issue as the Prime Minister and retired President attended (ITV National News on 2000pm HRS of 10th September 2013. In East Africa the AFRICAN GREEN REVOLUTION FORUM on saturday 7th September called for more support to Agriculture as preparation for the 2014 (year 2014 will be year of Agriculture) and that the joint efforts will be to influence government to put more efforts as WARNING that FOOD INSECURITY IN AFRICA IS CRITICAL.

It is now our task to make sure that the commitment we have in Agriculture are performed with good results that the need for proper policies for improving small holder farmer (up lift from small scale to more advanced scale), Public Private Partnerships, Promotion and More YOUTH INVOLVEMENT in the sector are crucial.

" WE WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO TRANSFORM TANZANIAs AGRICULTURE/ FARMING AND ALLEVIATE FOOD INSECURITY AND POVERTY, IF SMALLHOLDERS HAVE CAPABILITIES AND FUNDS TO BOOST THEIR YIELDS AND EXPAND THEIR BUSINESS".

What role are you going to play for this matter.........

BY JUMA BRUNO NGOMUO - TGFA