Tanzania: Govt Plans to Revive Co-operative Sector

Posted on :Tuesday , 21st June 2016

Karatu — The government intends to revive the ailing co-operative sector to enable it play a bigger role in economic empowerment of the farmers.

This was announced at the weekend by the deputy minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Mr William Ole Nasha during the Farmers Day event for barley growers at Bashay village in Karatu district, Arusha region.

He said the fifth phase government was keen to assist the farmers tackle a host of the challenges they are facing, one of which is co-operative sector whose performance is below their expectations.

The deputy minister called on the farmers to initiate the revival of the co-operatives instead of waiting for the government to undertake the task alone, adding that they have to change their agriculture from subsistence to commercial in order to raise their incomes.

"The government will give necessary support to the farmers to form income-generating groups and value chain as a way of boost their income through commercializing their agriculture,' he said. Mr Ole Nasha commended Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL) for assisting barley growers, saying the cereal has an assured market within the country.

Most of the produce is purchased by the breweries for beer making.

During the last season, barley farmers in Karatu earned up to Sh. 15 billion for selling barley to TBL, according to Mr. Thinus van Schoor, a SABMiller official. SABMiller is a South African brewery giant with majority shareholders in TBL.

He attributed the rising yields to farmers who have adopted modern methods of barley cultivation.

A representative of the barley farmers in Karatu , Mr Bariki Kivuyo called on the government to extend loans to them so that they expand their production.

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