Agriculture great story remains untold, SAGCOT boss

DAILY NEWS Reporter

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT), Mr Geoffrey Kirenga

THE mainstream media should take up the challenge to tell about the great story in agriculture and agribusiness sector as it remains untold.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT), Mr Geoffrey Kirenga said in Dar es Salaam at the weekend that the great potential of the sector which contributes about 30 per cent of the economy was largely underreported and challenged editors and journalists to promote investment and business opportunities available in agriculture.

“Tanzania has plenty of agricultural potential and opportunities compared to any of Eastern and Central African country,” he said at the SAGCOT organised seminar for editors and senior writers on its activities and opportunities available in agriculture held in Dar es Salaam.

Agriculture which is mainly rain-fed and dominated by smallholders farmers, is the mainstay of the economy, contributing about 29 per cent of the economy in 2015 up from 28.8 per cent in 2014 making it the largest contribution, surpassing all other sectors.

It employs about 65 per cent of Tanzanians and covers more than 100 per cent of the domestic food needs in favorable seasons. The media stood a better chance to inform and educate people on the existing opportunities in agriculture for the country’s growth and development, he said.

He said it was an undeniable fact that agriculture has a lot of opportunities which could transform people’s living standards and the proper channel for them to be informed and educated was through the media. “There is a good market of agricultural products be it local or foreign.

I appeal to you (Editors) help Tanzanians through your pen to unleash potentials and opportunities available in agriculture,” he said. Despite having what it takes to feed its rapid growing population and become a major food exporter to the East and Southern African region due to its large arable land, Tanzania was still importing food and had not yet capitalized in the regional market, he said.

“It is a shame to import food while we have plenty of fertile land in our country plus a broad market opportunity.

We have ample opportunities to develop our agro-industry to tap into regional markets,” he said, calling for editors to assist and conveying good messages to people on opportunities in agriculture.

According to Mr Kirenga, much has already been done by SAGCOT since its inception five years ago in transforming agricultural productivity in Tanzania’s Southern corridor.

Earlier, the Deputy CEO of the Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor (SAGCOT) Centre Ltd, Ms Jennifer Baarn said the centre would hold Annual Partnership Forum for 2017 next month. SAGCOT is an inclusive, multistakeholder partnership to rapidly develop the region’s agricultural potential.