Media urged to support agriculture

Financial Sector Deepening Trust Tanzania (FSDT) Agri-Finance Specialist, Mwallu Mwachang'a, speaking at a two-day seminar for business and economic journalists in Dar es Salaam, said if empowered, journalists could boost agriculture through dissemination of accurate and analytical information.

Mwachang'a said members of the media were at the centre of searching, analysing and distributing information about access to credit facilities in agriculture sector. "We want to empower journalists to accurately report on agriculture financing related issues," he said, adding that agriculture financing in particular was critical for the sector growth.

A facilitator at the seminar, Professor Humphrey Moshi from the University of Dar es Salaam, said it was high time now that journalists in the country addressed the pertinent issues on agriculture financing, which he described as the impediments of the sector that employs majority Tanzanians.

"Farmers' access to finance remains a serious challenge in Tanzania and yet agriculture is major the economic drive in this country... journalists should come to the rescue of this sensitive sector," said Prof Moshi.

The FSDT's technical director, Sosthenes Kewe said one of the key constraints that both smallholder farmers and agribusinesses face is lack of finance for production and growth. "This (lack of finance) has adversely affected the development of financial services and products suitable for agriculture," he said.

The implementation of the first AgFiMS survey (AgFiMS Tanzania 2011) was commissioned by the Financial Sector Deepening Trust Tanzania (FSDT). Data was collected from 4,094 agribusinesses through face to face interviews with business owners; 3,734 producers, 104 processors and 256 service providers.

One of the objectives of AgFiMS Tanzania 2011 study was to identify and describe the size and scope of the market comprising agribusinesses with the highest potential of being commercialised. The report specifically sought to facilitate the development of financial services for agribusinesses and stimulate the flow of finance into the agricultural sector.

Experts say that development of the agricultural sector is fundamental for poverty alleviation; 75 per cent of poor people in developing countries live in rural areas, 85% of which depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

source: allAfrica