SUPPORT COTTON FARMERS: CHIZA

Empowerment of cotton farmers has been cited as crucial in the development of an effective contract farming arrangement.The minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr Christopher Chiza, said this during the cotton and textile development programme workshop organised by the Tanzania Gatsby Trust (TGT) in Dar es Salaam.

“They (farmers) need high-quality inputs including improved seeds and a range of reliable pesticides,” said Mr Chiza on Wednesday.He also said farmers need, among other things, training on good agronomy, conservation, practices that lead to preservation and improvement of soil fertility, as well as the right incentives to invest year-on-year in the crop.

Mr Chiza also said that farmers had to have confidence in the weighing scales so as not to engage in cheating when selling their produce.He said the quality of cotton in the country has, over the years, steadily fallen something which needs immediate action to redress. “Fortunately, the current trend shows that there is a market at the global level, whereby demand for lint is now growing at 3 per cent and above annually,” he said.

At the seminar, Lord Sainbury, the founder of Gatsby Charitable Foundation in UK, who is also supporting contract farming through the Tanzania Gatsby Trust (TGT), hailed the minister for his support towards contract farming.

He said he was aware of the challenges the minister faces from political opponents. He also acknowledged the difficult job the minister has in managing the sub sector. “You may want to express significant concerns about the recent comments in Parliament, that Tanzania Gatsby Trust is bribing local authority leaders to support contract farming. Tanzania Gatsby Trust is grateful for the genuine commitment of local authorities to the initiative that benefits their constituents,” said Mr Sainbury.