THE international development partners in frontline efforts to empower citizens economically through agricultural sector engagements are rooting for increased cooperation on public-private partnerships (PPP) in Tanzania.
They observed that the government’s ambitious targets stipulated under the National Development Vision 2050 will likely be hard to achieve without further improvement of the PPP working model.
Through strengthening this working system in the agriculture sector, smallholder farmers will stand an opportunity to obtain needed capital loans to venture into productive food production, processing and value addition under Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOS).
The advice was issued by representatives from numerous agriculture-based institutions from the public and private sectors during a special round-table forum, tailored to brainstorm on the importance of PPP in elevating the country’s economy through agriculture.
Held on the sidelines of the agricultural show in Dodoma Capital City, the forum, organised by CARE International Tanzania, attracted stakeholders from the government, international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and other companies from the private sector.
The forum was held under the theme of “Beyond Savings, Building Competitive Agricultural Value Chains Through Public-Private Partnerships.”
During her opening remarks, Country Director for CARE International Tanzania, Prudence Masako, said the NGO was working to unite smallholder farmers under Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOS), with priority given to women and girls.
“Through uniting them in SACCOS, we’re linking them with financial institutions for the acquisition of capital loans necessary to help maximise their crop production and productivity,” she expressed.
Commencing the programme 20 years ago, she informed that the NGO has so far overseen the establishment of a total of 76,000 SACCOS, attracting at least 832,000 members.
“In order to produce effectively, farmers must have access to enough capital to afford buying necessary inputs, and this can only be attained if they unite under formal production groups,” she added.
The programme, she said, also works to capacitate beneficiary farmers with viable skills to venture successfully into crop value addition and the value chain.
“In 2012, we established a special farmer training clinic, called “Farmer Food and Business School,” with an eye to imparting them with vital education on agribusiness, including the adoption of smart agriculture, market linkages, nutrition and good agronomic practices,” she noted.
Masako said the training has impacted a total of 1,600 farmers in Iringa Region.
On his part, airing his observations at the forum, the Director General of Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute ( TOSCI), Dr Nyasebwa Chimagu, said the government has set supportive policies to promote PPP in Tanzania.
“Realising the importance of public-private partnership, the government has established specific policies to ensure smooth cooperation,” he said.
He added that the PPP system plays a notable role in assisting smallholder farmers to become employers of others by accessing enough funds to venture into large-scale production and establish processing plants.
Divulging more success achieved by CARE International Tanzania, Senior Manager for the “Her Money Her Life” project, Mr Barnabas Mtelevu, said the project connects farmers with key players to help heighten their output.
“For instance, some of the established SACCOS have grown to the extent of qualifying to obtain between 70m/- and 90m/- from financial institutions,” he added.