President Jakaya Kikwete has called for investment to increase Tanzania food surplus storage and assure market for food surplus produce.
The call was made during Kikwete’s keynote address to the United Nations Economic and Social Council on “Achieving Sustainable Development Through Employment Creation and Decent Work”, held in New York on March 30th 2015.
During the council the President reminded that for three years now Tanzania has enjoyed surplus food production but the challenge is to increase storage.
Agriculture is amongst the top sector the country has identified for investment as it absorbs 80% of the country’s workforce accounts for nearly half of Tanzania’s GDP contribution with an annual growth rate of 6%.
Tanzania is promoting agriculture and investment via 3 initiatives: The Agriculture Sector Development Programe, Kilimo kwanza (transforming agriculture) and the Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT).
In 2014 Tanzania government embarked USD 50 million project to construct 30 new silos to accommodate surplus of Tanzania grain and rice harvests.
The establishment of a Tanzania commodity exchange market is currently underway.
