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(L-R) Director of Programmes, AGA KHAN Foundation, Ms. Revealed Kataru; Country Representative, FAO, Mr. Fred Kafeero; Honourable Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Mary Mwanjelwa; EU Ambassador H.E. Roeland van de Geer; and Country Director, HELVETAS Swiss, Mr. Shiva Prasad Aryal.
Wednesday 14 February 2018, Dar es Salaam: Today, the Head of Delegation of the European Union to Tanzania and the East African Community, H.E. Roeland van de Geer together with representatives from FAO Tanzania, HELVETAS Swiss Interco-operation and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) presented three projects supporting the rice sector. These projects are financed by the EU through the Agricultural Component of the EU support to the Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor Initiative of Tanzania (SAGCOT) for a total of 4.5 Million Euros (Approx. 12.5 billion Tanzanian Shillings).
The SAGCOT initiative is a public-private partnership dedicated to ensure food security, reduce povertLJ, aŶd spur ecoŶoŵic developŵeŶt iŶ TaŶzaŶia͛s SoutherŶ Corridor. Projects presented today specifically aim at increasing competitiveness and improving the post-harvest value chain of small holder rice farmers in the Morogoro and Iringa regions.
One of the projects will be implemented in Iringa District, by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Rural Urban Development Initiatives (RUDI) and is titled ͚Improve Competitiveness and Increase Postharvest Management Capacity of Smallholder Farmers in the Rice Value Chain͛.
The second one 'Rice Postharvest Management (RIPOMA)' is implemented by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation in the Morogoro region, Kilosa and Mvomero districts and aims at empowering smallholder women and youth farmers on Rice Postharvest Management and Marketing through capacity building in Good Agricultural Practises, Market systems, Financial services and investment in postharvest Infrastructures.
The third project 'Enhancing Competitiveness of Smallholder Rice Farmers in Morogoro' is jointly implemented by AKF and Rice Council of Tanzania (RCT) and will reach up to 5,000 smallholder farmers particularly women and youth in Kilombero, Malinyi and Ulanga districts.
Speaking during the launch Ambassador Roeland van de Geer said that "The three rice projects funded by the EU will address some of the challenges faced by the rice sector in particular those associated with post-harvest losses and value chain weaknesses. Today post-harvest losses can amount to a staggering 40% of the harvest."
During her speech, the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Mary Machuche Mwanjelwa appreciated the fact that the European Union (EU) has selected agriculture as one of the focal sectors to support under the National Indicative Programme (NIP 2014-2020). She said that, the initiative will also complement the efforts in the Agriculture sector and that the support provided is in-line with the Agriculture Sector Development Programme (ASDP) II.
Hon. Dr. Mwanjelwa applauded the EU͛s effort to coŵpetitivelLJ award grant contracts to project beneficiaries such as the Aga Khan Foundation and Helvetas in Morogoro and FAO in Iringa. She assured the public that the project beneficiaries, GoT and other stakeholders will work endlessly to ensure that intended objectives will be met and ultimately attract more support to other underdeveloped areas.
She edžpressed the GoverŶŵeŶt͛s coŵŵitŵeŶt to streŶgtheŶ the uŶprecedeŶted historical cooperation with EU. "Thanks to the EU for sustaiŶiŶg the support to the GoverŶŵeŶt’s developŵeŶt initiatives particularly in the Agriculture Sector, but also other sectors such as Energy and Good Governance" added Hon. Dr. Mwanjelwa.
These EU funded projects will address among other issues, challenges associated with post-harvest losses and value chain weaknesses, and will exploit the many opportunities to create a major change in the rice economy of the Iringa and Morogoro regions.
Background:
Rice, the second most important crop in the United Republic of Tanzania, is mostly grown by farmers as a cash crop for local and regional markets. Farmers are at the core of the value chain as they play a significant role on the source of the produced goods, post-harvest loses account for about 40% for cereals including the rice sub-sector, therefore addressing the challenge at the farm gate is crucial since chances for losses beyond the farmers level are relatively minimum. With improved competitiveness and post- harvest losses management, paddy and other cereals can definitely make the country food self-sufficient, resulting in poverty reduction, increased incomes while ensuring a sustainable supply of food and a reliable market for farmers.
Speech for EU Ambassador Roeland van de Geer at the launch of the EU Funded Agriculture projects under the SAGCOT Initiative
(Beneficiaries FAO, Aga Khan Foundation, HELVETAS Swiss)
[Check against delivery]
Honourable Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Mary Mwanjelwa Country Representative, FAO, Mr. Fred Kafeero
Director of Programmes, AGA KHAN Foundation, Ms. Revealed Kataru Country Director, HELVETAS Swiss, Mr. Shiva Prasad Aryal
Members of the Press Dear Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen
Habari za asubuhi? (Good morning),
· Umoja wa Ulaya (EU) ni mshirika wa muda mrefu katika sekta ya kilimo Tanzania/EU is a long-standing partner in the agriculture sector in Tanzania with a current support exceeding EUR 140 million. Over the past 20 years we have supported a number of different commodities such as coffee, tea, horticulture, cotton and sugar, but also policy reforms and research.
· Ninafurahi kusema, tunasaidia sekta ya mpunga Tanzania pia/I am pleased to say that we are now also supporting the rice sector in Tanzania which is one of the priority value chains identified in the Government's new Agriculture Sector Development Programme II.
· Rice, Mpunga, is the second most important food and commercial crop in Tanzania after maize. It is among the major sources of employment, income and food security for Tanzanian farming households.
· I am therefore honoured to be here today with representatives from FAO, Aga Khan Foundation and Helvetas Swiss to launch 3 important rice projects in Iringa and Morogoro supported by the EU for an amount of 4.5 million Euro (approx12.5 billion Tanzanian Shillings).
· While each project has had its own events in their respective regions together with the local stakeholders, it is important to bring them together and to show this consolidated support for the rice sector in Tanzania, with a particular focus on support to the value chain post-harvest.
· The projects are in fact part of a larger financial contribution from the EU to the Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor Initiative for Tanzania (SAGCOT) amounting to 46 million Euro (approx. 128 billion Tanzanian Shillings).
· The SAGCOT initiative is a public-private partnership dedicated to ensure food security, reduce poverty, and spur economic development in Tanzania’s Southern Corridor.
· Apart from supporting the rice sector, EU funding to SAGCOT has also been provided to upgrade the Kidatu-Ifakara road to improve transport links, construction of a new (220 kV/33kV) substation near Ifakara to ensure reliable electricity supply and grid extensions, and support for the protection of the Kilombero and lower Rufiji Wetland through community based natural resource management.
· Despite the high potential for production in the SAGCOT region, the agriculture sector remains constrained by a number of factors, such as lack of inputs, insufficient irrigation, lack of affordable credit, fragmented market chains, inadequate storage facilities, and high transport costs caused by poor condition of the feeder roads.
· The 3 rice projects funded by the EU will address some of these challenges, in particular those associated with post-harvest losses and value chain weaknesses. Today post-harvest loss amount to a staggering 40% of the harvest.
· In some instances, all the grains are lost, contaminated by fungus, or spoiled by rain after harvest. Farmers lose much of their grain because of poor postharvest management, outdated postharvest technology, and poor and unhygienic storage facilities.
· The aim of these new projects will be to boost output, improve the value chain of small holder rice farmers and increase their competitiveness. This in turn will result in higher income and poverty reduction.
· While today we have a rice deficit in Tanzania, once we get the equation right and address the bottlenecks in the value chain, there is a huge potential not only to satisfy the local market but to tap into regional and international markets. It also offers an opportunity for strengthening commercial linkages and trade with the EU.
· We look forward to seeing the progress of the projects being launched today and to witness their contribution to the successful implementation of the National Agriculture Sector Development Programme ASDP II, soon to be officially launched by the Government.
· I would like to express my thanks for the presence of everyone attending this event today, demonstrating their commitment to ensuring the success of these important initiatives.
· Kilimo oyeeeeee!!!!/Farming oyeeee! Asante Sana
