WHILE the government hasn’t solved all problems in building an integrated economy that maximizes benefits for all citizens, significant progress has been made.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan made this assertion at a rally during the climax of this year’s agro-sector exhibition here yesterday, reaffirming that current economic efforts focus on boosting agricultural productivity.

She emphasised the need for building an integrated economy by empowering farmers, breeders, and fishermen, stressing government plans to invest heavily in agriculture, providing needed support for farmers.

The government’s goal is to ensure that by 2030, the government will have delivered 10,000 tractors and 10,000 power tillers to farmers, she said, affirming that the majority of the people are engaged in agriculture and livestock, “so we have increased the agriculture budget from 294bn/- in 2022/23 to 1.2trn/-, a fourfold increase.”

The budget shows the government’s commitment to prioritizing farmers and livestock keepers, she said, noting that these investments have led to greater use of improved seeds, expanding irrigation areas, distributing quality seeds and setting up integrated agricultural tool centers. 

She spent some time addressing concerns about government spending, in the wake of demonstrations in various countries which have led to increased fears for stability, especially with a recent nation-wide strike by traders, and a hold-off with tourism operators in relation to excessive local government levies.

“I have heard people criticize the government for purchasing cars for its officials instead of tractors for farmers. The government operates according to its plans and investments are made with purpose.

“We need management structures to ensure effective use of resources,” she stated, pointing at improvements in agricultural support like furnishing a modern agricultural laboratory, expected to process all types of crop samples by 2026. 

In addition to improving yields and finding markets for agricultural products, the government is working on developing meat processing factories chiefly for export, she said. 

Ongoing collaboration with financial institutions to offer concessional loans to farmers are being pursued, meanwhile as the government was keen about the stability of financial institutions, she stated.

The government is making an effort to build an integrated economy and enhance productivity in various crops including rice and maize, she said, highlighting vast efforts to seek markets that offer better prices for farmers’ produce. 

“For instance, the price of peas has risen from 200/- per kilo to 4,000/- after finding overseas markets, with coconut prices increasing from 700.- to 900/- to 30,000/- per kilo,” she said.

Rice productivity has increased from 1.25 tonnes to 4.0 tonnes per hectare, and maize productivity has risen from 2.0 tonnes to 4.5 tonnes, she said, pointing at the target of seven tonnes of rice and five tonnes of maize per hectare in future.

There was a 19 percent increase in food crop production, from 17.1m tonnes in 2021/22 to 20.4m tonnes in 2023/24, she said, while Agriculture minister Hussein Bashe highlighted the target of a 130 percent increase in agricultural productivity by 2025/26.

Agricultural products sales are expected to fetch $2.6bn this year from $2.3bn last year, he said, underlining that supplying subsidized fertilizer has helped increase input use from 360,000 tonnes to 900,000 tonnes in the past financial year 

Abdallah Ulega, the Livestock and Fisheries minister, hinted at plans to provide free vaccinations for chickenpox troubling poultry farmers, along with loaning out 450 modern fishing boats plus enabling the setting up of 900 fish farming cages this year.