U.S Government Spent Over $38 million To Empower Tanzania’s Agriculture Sector
By STAFF REPORTER
THE U. S government has generously
bankrolled over $38 million to support implementation of a robust program meant to empower Tanzania’s agriculture sector in a period of ten consecutive years.
Dubbed ‘Participating Agency Service Agreement (PASA)’ the ambitious program which commenced in different regions of Tanzania since 2013 has so far played an important role to transform Tanzania’s agriculture sector.
Speaking recently during a special audience to assess over the implementation of the program’s first phase in the country, the Director of the Eastern Africa Regional Hub from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr. Leena Tripathi, unveiled that the PASA program has fostered resilient food and market systems while nurturing a conducive environment for mutual trade growth, local economic development, and overcoming food security challenges in Tanzania.
The USAID/Tanzania Economic Growth Office Director, Colin Dreizin and the IITA’s Director for Eastern Africa Regional Hub, Dr. Leena Tripathi (centre) admires some agricultural produce during the event.
“This substantial investment has played a pivotal role in strengthening Tanzania’s agricultural systems and enabling them to embrace climate-smart practices, while also facilitating data collection and analysis to enhance food security,” Dr. Tripathi expressed.
The timely initiative is being implemented in the country jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Agency in International development (USAID) with an eye to bolster the country’s griculture capacity.
However, in the further scope, in implementing the program, USDA and USAID collaborated with Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture on both the mainland and in Zanzibar.
And the program engaged several implementing partners, including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA), and Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT).
The USAID/Tanzania Economic Growth Office Director, Colin Dreizin (right) shares a light moment with the Minister of Agriculture in Zanzibar, Shamata Khamis (centre) during the event.
“With USAID-USDA funding, we have witnessed a substantial impact created by the PASA program in various areas of Tanzania that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as Dodoma, Morogoro, Iringa in the southern highlands, and Lindi on the coast,” the minister of Agriculture in Zanzibar, Shamata Khamis said during the event.
He added that effects of climate change poses a significant threat to food security and the livelihoods of majority across the country.
“Tanzania stands among the countries heavily affected by climate change, experiencing rainfall variabilities, high temperatures,and the spread of diseases that have disrupted our food systems and compromised food safety ands ecurity,” he observed.
The minister hailed the development partners for running the vital program in the country, the vital strategy he said has helped the country to reduce effects of climate change towards the agriculture sector.
The USAID/Tanzania Economic Growth Office Director, Colin Dreizin, during the event expressed that, another crucial landmark achievement of the program was creation of Aflasafe in Tanzania.
” This innovative product, the first of its kind in Tanzania, effectively combats the significant threat of aflatoxin contamination in key staple crops,” Dreizin started.
With local production in Arusha, the country is currently standing on a advanced side to safeguarding the country’s maize crop and enabling continued trade across East Africa, according to Dreizin.
“Thousands of Tanzanian farmers have been trained in the use of Aflasafe, further improving Tanzania’s food security and market access by keeping crops aflatoxin free,” the Director insisted.
The colorful event was held in Dodoma Capital City under the theme of ‘Marking a decade of successful collaboration, the United States and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania came together to commemorate the achievements of the innovative Participating Agency Service Agreement (PASA) program.
Among others, the gathering included a field visit to the Bihawana Youth Agriculture Center to observe youth engaged in various agricultural production activities, including smart-irrigation technology.demonstrations and clean energy innovations.
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