By Staff
Reporter
THE World
Food Programme (WFP) has rolled out support of at least five modern cold rooms
to help facilitating a smooth and professional transportation of horticulture
produce from Kilosa Morogoro ad Dodoma to Dar es Salaam markets before being
airlifted to far abroad markets.
The vital
development in the country’s agribusiness sector resulted from good working
relations between the Government and international organizations.
With the
development, the farmers who engages in the horticulture sector in Dodoma and
Morogoro Regions are likely standing a better side of fetching lucrative
profits from their farming works as their produce will now reach the markets
destination while still fresh and at needed international standards.
Mr Ramadhan
Sizya, the Senior Trader Officer in the Ministry of Trade unveiled the key
development recently in Dodoma Region in
his remarks during the 2023 Tanzania Agriculture Stakeholders Learning even
(TASLE).
The three-day
event was organized by Agriculture Markets Development Trust (AMDT) and
attracted more than 100 local and foreign participants.
Mr Sizya
expressed that the Government and World Food Programme (WFP) have agreed to
transport horticulture products through standard gauge railway (SGR).
“In
order to have the produce transported professionally through the SGR, WFP provided
five cold rooms for transportation of horticulture from Kilosa Morogoro and
Dodoma to Dar es Salaam markets where others will be airlifted to abroad,”he
said.
He added
that the main objective for the
introduction of such service is to reduce the post-harvest losses in
horticulture products.
“I a
move to reduce post-harvest losses the government in collaboration with other
partners has decided to introduce cold room services along agriculture
productive areas,”
Statistics
show that horticulture is a fast-growing sector in Tanzania. It is growing at a
rate of 11 percent in a year compared to a 4pecent growth in the overall
agriculture sector.
Because
of the availability of both tropical and temperate climates along with
different altitude and temperatures, Tanzania grows a very wide variety of
fruits and vegetables.
Post havest
losses are estimates between 40-50 percent in the horticulture sector. Various
steps have been taken by the government and the private sector to tackle the
challenge.
Nyasebwa
Chimagu, the director of crop development in the Ministry of Agriculture said
the Government is committed to improve productivity.
He said
in terms of marketing of crops more efforts were done so as to improve the
livelihood of farmers.
Dr Mary
Shetto, AMDT board member thanked the Ministry of Agriculture for collaborating
and participants to attend in the event.
