Five Directives from Dr. Biteko at Nanenane Mbeya

📌 The Ministry of Livestock and Research Institutions Must Ensure the Availability of Livestock Seeds and Feed

📌 The Government Will Continue to Facilitate the Availability of Fertilizer

📌 Food Production in the Southern Highlands Reaches 15% in 2023/2024

📌 Farmers Encouraged to Use Extension Officers

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Hon. Dr. Doto Biteko, has issued five directives to the Ministry of Agriculture, Institutions, and Regions aimed at promoting and strengthening the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors in the country.

Dr. Biteko issued these directives today, August 2, 2024, in Mbeya while opening the Nanenane Agricultural, Livestock, and Fisheries Exhibition at John Mwakangale Grounds.

“Make land use plans and ensure that large groups of livestock are included in the Southern Highlands regions. The consequences are significant, including extensive environmental damage. Therefore, all relevant ministries and regional leaders must take firm action,” he said, adding, “There has been improper use of pesticides and other chemicals. This issue has serious implications for human health and other living organisms. I urge farmers, livestock keepers, and fishers to follow expert advice to produce without compromising human health and our environment.”

He also directed that areas for agricultural research institutions be surveyed, given titles, and protected, along with a proper procedure for allocating areas for seed production and preserving existing ones. “I direct the responsible authorities to also allocate and survey land for these purposes to produce seeds and protect them against encroachment,” said Dr. Biteko.

Regarding household food security, he emphasized that citizens should store food for household use. For cash crops, he urged farmers not to sell them before they mature and reach acceptable quality to protect the market for crops domestically and internationally.

Addressing the shortage of livestock feed seeds and quality livestock seeds, including fish fingerlings, Dr. Biteko directed the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries and livestock and aquatic life research institutions to ensure the availability of feed and livestock seeds to citizens at affordable costs.

Dr. Biteko also mentioned that food crop production in the Southern Highlands regions has continued to increase, with the region producing 11,814,480.63 tons of food crops in the 2022/2023 season, while in 2023/2024, it produced 13,559,101.43 tons, representing a 15% increase.

“The food demand in this region is estimated at 3,044,561.8 tons, thus the region will have a surplus of 10,514,539.63 tons. This makes all Southern Highlands regions contribute to the food security status of our country. This increase in production results from the Government’s efforts to ensure productivity increases in the agricultural sector by preparing and implementing a Fertilizer Subsidy Plan, providing fertilizer subsidies to all farmers,” Dr. Biteko stated.

“The Government is determined to develop the Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries sectors to increase production, productivity, and value of agricultural, livestock, and fisheries products, along with increasing income and creating employment for citizens, especially considering that agriculture employs over 85% of the population according to the 2022 Population and Housing Census. Therefore, the Government has increased the budget for the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries from Shilingi 275 billion in 2021/2022 to Shilingi 295 billion in 2023/24 and for the Ministry of Agriculture from Shilingi 294,162,071,000 in 2021/2022 to Shilingi 1.3 trillion in 2024/2025,” emphasized Dr. Biteko.

Additionally, Dr. Biteko directed the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) to ensure the implementation of President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan’s directive that the price of maize per kilogram be sold at Shilingi 700 as requested by the citizens.

Furthermore, the Government has continued to strengthen the availability and encourage the use of fertilizer through the Subsidy Plan to continue increasing productivity and production. Through this plan, fertilizer use in 2023/2024 has reached 412,859.76 tons compared to 313,593 tons in 2022/2023. Moreover, in 2024/2025, the Government will continue to facilitate the availability of fertilizer in the country through its subsidy plan.

Simultaneously, Dr. Biteko thanked Azania Bank and the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) for providing loans to farmers and requested them to increase the pace of offering affordable loans to farmers in the country.

In another development, Dr. Biteko announced that this year’s celebration theme is “Choose Good Leaders for Local Government for Sustainable Development of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries.” This theme aims to remind citizens in the 2024 election to choose good local government leaders, especially considering that production activities in the agricultural sector are conducted at the local government level.

The Speaker of the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania, Hon. Dr. Tulia Ackson, thanked President Dr. Samia for continuing to provide funds for implementing various projects in the region, including building schools, health centers, and roads.

For his part, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Hon. David Silinde, said the Ministry of Agriculture has begun implementing President Dr. Samia’s directive to develop the Nzuguni grounds in Dodoma and John Mwakangale grounds to have the status of international Nanenane exhibition grounds.

Moreover, the Regional Commissioner of Songwe, Hon. Daniel Chongolo, stated that the Southern Highlands regions have continued to produce sufficient food and have continued to encourage citizens to strive to produce more food.

End.