SMALLHOLDER farmers in Tanzania are expected to increase the quality of their produces as well as expand the market scope of their products, following the launch of new regional project targeting to boost exports of staple food.
Dubbed ‘Strengthening Competitiveness in Export-Oriented Staple Food Value Chains in East Africa”, the project is implemented in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
Gungu Mibavu, acting director of marketing and food security Ministry of Agriculture, said during the launch of the project on Tuesday that the beneficiaries include women and youth engaged in maize, beans, sorghum, soya beans, millet, pulses and others staple food crops.
Under the project, smallholder farmers will be trained on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to help them to produce high quality products that meet international standards, how to supervise their farmers through associations/groups, post- harvest handling and technology.
He called on Tanzanian businessperson to utilize this opportunity to sell staple food that has high quality because the demand in very high in East Africa Regional and other foreign countries across the world.
Businesspersons, farmers, processors and other people who will be ready to sell their produce in EAC regional and other foreign countries, Cereal and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA) will check quality of staple food before sold or exported in other countries, he said.
“Don’t adulterate rice with sands or cooking oil, because you will get loss when you export because no clients will be ready to purchase staple food that is not clean and safe for their customers,” he said
He lauded the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC), TradeMark Africa (TMA) and USAID-Economic Recovery and Reform Action (USAID -ERRA) for introducing the project aimed at increasing job creation and income among staple food value chain actors in three countries.
“The governments will continue to cooperate in various areas focusing women and youth by positioning them at the center of our food systems initiatives, as they are the most vulnerable group to food insecurity and poverty,” he noted
“We are intending to continue open up our borders to make sure we have smooth cross border trade and make export ban a story of the past that won’t happen again to enable women and youth benefit from this project,” he said
On behalf of Craig Hart's, USAID mission director, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s project management Specialist Junior Ndesanjo, said that Tanzania's production of key staples such as rice and maize has increased, showcasing the country's capability as a leading net exporter in the region.
Despite the remarkable strides, the full potential of Tanzania’s agricultural sector remains untapped, hindered by various challenges that affect regional trade and competitiveness.
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