Farmers have urged the Tanzanian government to invest in small scale farmers to ensure food security and to create exportable surplus. They wanted the government to give them capital and market outlets. Tanzania has abundant fertile land, but farmers, however, have lacked capital and market assurance.
Cassava farmers are more vocal in this regard. They want the government to provide small scale farmers with incentives to motivate them to increase productivity. To gain more traction with the government, cassava cultivators are gearing to set up co-operatives to make their combined voices heard at the right government quarters. The farmers also want the government to regulate food crops’ prices to ensure farmers benefit and production is increased. They also called on the government to control export of raw food crops and instead told the authorities to focus on processed goods since the value added food will give more income to farmers and at the same time, create more employment. Farmers told the government authorities to make use of the foreign missions of the country to scout for steady and sustained market outlets by way of increased exports.
Though the demand of the farmers is genuine and doable, it remains to be seen how many of them would merit government’s immediate attention. It is a common practice of the government to listen to their genuine concerns, promise solutions and then put such suggestions in the backburner. Even some of the suggestions that the government has acted upon, have been either disbanded or held back
