By Staff Reporter
THE UN Agency for International Development (USAID) has expressed to have been impressed with the numerous achievements so far attained in the implementation of the first year of the Feed the Future Tanzania Kilimo Tija Project in the country.
In a tailor –made event to cerebrate the prosperous of the robust project held at the Ministry of Agriculture Training Institute (MATI) –Ilonga in Kilosa, Morogoro Region, USAID/Tanzania Economic Growth Officer Deputy Director, Plato Hieronimus emphasized the importance of strengthening partnership between Tanzania, the United States, and the private sector in generating opportunities for youth development and job creation.
“Without the the crucial inputs from the private sector as well as enormous support from the government of Tanzania , this USAID project would not be possible. Because of this partnership 2,500 Tanzanian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will have the support they mostly need to invest USD20 million in growth and generate 7,400 new jobs,” Hieronimus expressed.
In course of its implementation, (2022-2027), the ambitious initiative also seeks to achieve a 15 percent annual revenue growth for the enterprises and over USD 100,000 in sales of produce from smallholders farmers.
Being in its initial phase, the Project’s Pivotal Horticulture Training Center (PTC) facility was utilized to provide hands-on training to over 420 beneficiaries, including MATI lecturers and students, extension staff, farmers, whereby a total of 84 youths engaging into the Building Better Tomorrow Youth in Agriculture (BT-YIA) were incubated at the facility to get practical knowledge and skills in horticulture.
The fruitful collaborations among the USAID Kilimo Tija amd the MATI –Ilonga teams to the PTC initiative resulted in investments exceeding 124.8m/- at the MATI Ilonga 5-acre demonstration facility, equipped with modern farming technologies.
‘The facility will continue to equip extension staff with the use knowledge and skills needed to effectively support smallholder farmers in the region,” he added.
Targeting Tanzania’s Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) regions of Iringa, Mbeya, Morogoro and Njombe, along with Zanzibar’s Unguja and Pemba islands, USAIDS’s USD37.9million Kilimo Tija’s primary goal is to sustainably increase economic opportunities in horticulture market system, with a special focus on youth.
Furthermore, the project works with public and private sector associations, youth-led and women –focused institutions, and national and local government authorities to enhance horticulture markert system,and unlock economic opportunities, particularly for the youth.
The main horticultural crops of Tanzania include tomatoes, cabbages, onions, carrots, round potatoes, mangoes, oranges, and flower seeds, among others. Tanzania's horticultural industry largely depends on smallholder farmers who own less than 2 hectares of land.
Post a Comment