Posted on :Thursday , 8th December 2016

 Tanzania plans to use the National Service, JKT and Prisons Department to increase agricultural production, notably in leguminous crops, as it eyes exporting six million metric tonnes of pulses to Indian markets.

India, the world largest consumer of pulses, takes about 50 per cent out of the 13.6 million tonnes produced annually, with Tanzania contributing only 2.5 per cent.

According to Indian Deputy High Commissioner to Tanzania, Robert Shetkintong, his country was importing an average of six million tonnes a year to meet growing demand for the nutritious food crop. "About 55 per cent of our requirements is imported from Canada, the US and Australia.

For logistics convenience, the three countries are far from us. It is very expensive than importing from Tanzania," he said at an International Year of Pulses meeting hosted by United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

He said for Tanzania to seize the opportunity must improve quality thereby using modern farming technology. "We're expecting a delegate from India very soon to arrive in Tanzania to share moment and experience with their counterparts on improving pulses production," he said.

The delegate will introduce modern faming equipment as well as new scientific methods for farming. The government admitted to have insufficiently utilised the arable land to less than 30 per cent, but said it was well organised to further meet local and international market demands.

"We are considering using the National Service and Prisons Department to add-up the production capacity," the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Florens Turuka, told a stakeholders meeting in Dar es Salaam yesterday.