Farming Drive Laudable, but Inclusivity Is Crucial

farmers

Agriculture has for many years been engrained in our minds that it is the backbone of the country's economy. At least 80 per cent of Tanzanians are engaged in agriculture as their main economic activity.

Agriculture is also among the main contributors to economy. However, despite some of our leaders shouting from the rooftops and preaching about agriculture as the backbone of our economy, the reality is that this backbone is fractured.

The previous government strived to revolutionise agriculture through the "Kilimo Kwanza" initiative, but its implementation raised more questions than answers.

There are a myriad of challenges troubling the sector, but there is now a glimmer of hope that farmers' productivity will rise.

This follows intervention by the Small Industries Development Organisation (Sido), which has launched a programme to train small-scale farmers across the country on modern farming methods.

Sido's initiative is commendable, and has come at a time when the government has embarked on an ambitious industrialisation drive. Needless to say, agricultural success will go a long way in promoting industrial development in the country.

This programme, however, targets female farmers, who are regarded as the leading producers of food crops worldwide. Statistics show that over 80 per cent of food crops harvested globally are produced by small-scale farmers, 70 per cent of them being women.

It is not a bad idea to start with women in this programme, but Sido should have come up with a more inclusive approach to tackling agricultural woes.

If farmers, irrespective of their gender, receive proper farming training, Tanzania will be able to truly revolutionise its economy, and farmers will see the fruits of their hard work.

Certainly, an abundance of raw materials will be an incentive for small and big investors to establish factories in various parts of the country.

Involve locals in security issues

In yesterday's edition of Mwananchi there was a story from Morogoro about a "self-confessed criminal". According to the story, the man made the confession during a media briefing by police.

It is not within the scope of this editorial to scrutinise the legality of the "confession", but the story spoke volumes about the security of law-abiding citizens.

The man claimed that he used to rob and rape women by threatening them with a knife. He mostly robbed them of their valuables, particularly mobile phones and money.

In another revelation, he claimed that he posed as a police officer to make it easier for him to commit the offences, and this apparently happened for a long time.

If these claims are true, then it should be cause for grave concern as far as the safety of vulnerable members of society and their loved ones is concerned.

We understand that police officers cannot be everywhere all the time. However, this "revelation" should serve as a wake-up call to security agencies. They must pull up their socks and improve their performance.

One way which once helped improve public security was community policing. Police should try and build trust so that there would be more whistle-blowers to help raise the alarm whenever there is a security threat anywhere.