President Jakaya Kikwete Speaking in Lindi region at the climax of farmers’ exhibitions.
Dar es Salaam/Rufiji. President
Jakaya Kikwete yesterday assured Tanzanians of food security. No one
will die of hunger, he said, because the country has enough food to last
the next three years.
Speaking at a rally in Lindi
region at the climax of farmers’ exhibitions commonly referred to as
Nanenane, President Kikwete said food security rose to 125 per cent in
2014, up from 95 per cent in 2005.
The government has
put in place strategies aimed at increasing food production for both
domestic consumption and exports, Mr Kikwete said and, despite numerous
challenges in the agriculture sector, the government was working hard to
ensure that the sector played a key role since it touched on the lives
of the the majority of people.
He added: “However, we
still have a long way to go. If we are to attain 100 per cent food
security, we have to between 300 and 400 per cent food security, which
will enable us to sell to our neighbours and even globally.”
In
order to reduce dependence on the hand hoe, more than 3,000 tractors
will be imported soon and distributed farmers to bring to 16,412 the
number tractors distributed countrywide. According to the President,
although the shift to modern agriculture is slow, the country has
managed to reduce the use of hand hoe from 70 per cent to 62 per cent.
“I know farmers face numerous challenges, ranging from lack of farming
inputs and capital to heavy dependency on seasonal rains,” said
President Kikwete.
He urged Lindi residents to vote for
leaders who would bring development to their regions and also protect
their voter registration cards. Even more important, he told them, they
should avoid being manipulated. “Your vote counts a lot for the welfare
of this nation and, in particular, to the agriculture sector, so be wise
as you vote,” Mr Kikwete added. In another development, President
Kikwete has inaugurated the 60-kilometre Ndundu-Somanga road connecting
the country’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, and the southern
regions of Lindi and Mtwara saying his days of spending sleepless nights
are over.
“I could not sleep before this stretch of
road was built because one could not engage southern regions in politics
without mentioning this stretch of road,” President Kikwete said
shortly after he inaugurated the road on Friday evening. “Now it’s all
over.”
Minister for Works John Magufuli, who is also
the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) presidential hopeful in the October
General Election, said construction of the Sh77.2billion road was
funded by the government of Tanzania by 55 per cent, the Kuwait Fund by
31 per cent and the OPEC Fund by 14 per cent.
Dr
Magufuli said completion of the 60-kilometre Ndundu-Somanga road marked
the completion of the construction of the 508-kilometre
Dar-es-Salaam-Kibiti, Lindi and Mingoyo road. President Kikwete said he
was happy because the Mkapa Bridge over Rufiji River would be more
useful.
“It is an open secret that we have the Mkapa
Bridge but this bridge provided only short term relief because, upon
crossing over from Dar es Salaam to southern regions, travellers were
subjected to driving through the then Ndundu-Somanga rough road,” said
the President.
The head of state paid fulsome tribute
to Dr Magufuli for overseeing the construction of the road. The
inauguration ceremony was attended by residents of Lindi, Coast and Dar
es Salaam regions and dignitaries including Kuwait’s ambassador to
Tanzania, Mr Jassem Ibrahim Al-Najem.
Ambassador
Al-Najem said the Kuwait Fund was established in 1961 to support
development projects in friendly countries like Tanzania. “The
friendship between Tanzania and Kuwait began in 1975, and that
friendship has now begun to bear fruits,” said the Kuwait envoy.
No comments :
Post a Comment