President Jakaya Kikwete is expected to launch the Southern Africa Confederation of Agriculture Unions (SACAU) annual meeting to be held in Dar es Salaam between May 13 and 15, this year.
President Jakaya Kikwete
Addressing reporters recently, SACAU Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ishmael Sunga said the meeting was aimed at educating farmers on various methods of improving agricultural practices.
The meeting, to be held under the theme “Aligning agricultural finance with a growth-oriented and business development-focused agricultural development strategy in Southern Africa,” will bring together over 200 farmers and financial institutions.
According to Mr Sunga, the participants are from countries in the Common Market Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC) blocs.
“We expect to have more than 200 farmers, different financial institution, 14 countries from COMESA, SADC and other members from EAC,” he noted. Mr Sunga said that many farmers in Africa did not have adequate knowledge on appropriate farming methods, thus the meeting would be expected to help jerk up modern farming knowledge amongst them.
Executive Director of Agriculture Council of Tanzania, Ms Janet Bitegeko said the biggest challenge facing the agricultural sector in Tanzania was poor technological know-how and capital. The situation, she added, forced farmers to produce for consumption and not commercially.
“Poor farming knowledge and poverty amongst farmers are among the impediments to agricultural expansion for most farmers in Africa,” Ms Bitegeko said.
By FATMA ABDU, Tanzania Daily News
