Call for more agric investment #tanzania

STAKEHOLDERS for development in Mtwara
region have asked the government to invest more in
agriculture and come up with a strategy that will stimulate
industrial growth with a view to retaining youth in the
region.
The appeal was made recently by the stakeholders at a
debate on policy issues and the future of the country in the
next 20 years organized by the Society for International
Development (SID) and funded by the Foundation for Civil
Society held in Mtwara municipality recently.
Mr Balthazar Komba from the NGO Faidika Wote Pamoja
(FAWOPA) said that despite government efforts to invest in
agriculture, much was still needed to beef up the budget in
order to motivate local farmers.
For his part, Mr Nashiri Pontiya from Saidia Jamii Kuishi
(SAJAKU) said the government's commitment to investing
in agriculture was good but argued that it should involve all
the stakeholders in the planning and implementation of
agricultural plans in the next 20 years, particularly the
youth.
"Youth should be seen as an important factor in agriculture
because right now they are more involved in retail trade
than agriculture. Old people are the ones mainly engaged in
agriculture," said Mr Pontiya.
Other contributors said if agriculture underwent major
investment it could be a major source of employment for the
youth. Presenting a paper, project manager, Mr Edmund
Matotay, said according to various surveys, there was need
for harmonization of a number of programmes and