The ministry of agriculture is targeting to expand the production of crops, which will result into increasing its export earnings of US$1.2 billion (about 4trn/-) by 2030.

This achievement is planned as the ministry of currently implementing strategies meant to transform the performance of the agriculture, by increasing crop production by at least ten percent, according to Nyasebwa Chimagu, the director for crops development, ministry of agriculture.

In his remarks to officiate a special forum over the Guiding Acid Soil Management Investments in Africa (GAIA) project, organised by the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) to chat ways to combat effects of soil acidity towards the sector in Tanzania, Chimagu said the country is currently food self-sufficient by 124 percent.

This achievement enables the country to cater not only the domestic demands, but also exporting to the neighbouring countries, he said. 

Under the theme of 'Feed Ourselves, And Feed Others Commercially 'the Director said, the strategies are being implemented through cooperation with the various agro institutes.

"The target is to put in place a well- coordinated effective system to ensure for increased production and productivity in all key crops across the country," he noted.

To meet the targeted results, he briefed that the strategies works to increase the value of crop exports, expand the scope of youth engagement in the sector, together with concerted efforts to curtail post-harvest loss.

"We're also working to increase conducting of useful research on several areas to help introducing the farmers in the country with potential technologies which will help them increase crop yields, but also, battling out against pests and diseases," Chimagu explained.

He expressed; “Attaining technical fertilizers application can contribute to between 50 to 60 percent to increase crops production and productivity, saying the focus was getting to ensure the farmers are adopting use of recommended fertilizers and at appropriate rates”.

Plant diseases are among the serious obstacles that continue to dilute efforts by majority of farmers in the country to realise needed yields, according to Chimagu. 

To help address the challenge, Chimagu informed that several strategies are being executed to negate the situation.

The 2021’s report by FAO depicts that a total of US$70bn is annually being injected to address issues of plant diseases. 

Speaking over the soil acidity, Chimagu expressed the important of the local factories to engage on mass production of agricultural limes.

He underscored over the need to ensure for availability, accessibility and affordability of agricultural limes towards the intended farmers in the needed areas.

"Increasing crops production and productivity is among the currently priorities by the parent ministry, and in order to attain the vision, knowledge on soil health management among the local farmers was of paramount important," he insisted. 

At least 32.7 million hectares of land in Tanzania are acidic, being about 14.6 million hectares which are currently under cultivation, the situation which is thwarting the needed metamorphosis in the country’s crops production and productivity.