Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Hussein Bashe, has presented a robust budget proposal of 1.248 trillion Tanzanian shillings for the upcoming 2024/25 financial year, pending approval by the esteemed members of parliament.
Emphasizing the paramount importance of food security, Minister Bashe underscored the government's commitment to ensuring the nation's self-sufficiency in food production.
Addressing lawmakers in Dodoma on Thursday, Minister Bashe highlighted the significant strides made in previous fiscal years. He noted that in the 2022/23 financial period, the nation successfully met its food requirements for the agricultural season. Furthermore, in the subsequent year, the Ministry achieved an impressive total of 16.4 million tonnes of food production, with an additional surplus of 4 million tonnes, culminating in the country's self-sufficiency rate reaching 124 percent.
Building on this momentum, Minister Bashe articulated ambitious targets for the future, aiming to elevate Tanzania's food sufficiency to 130 percent by the year 2025. Additionally, he unveiled plans to bolster crop exports, setting a target of 3 billion US dollars to be attained within the specified timeframe.
Highlighting the sector's robust growth trajectory, Minister Bashe disclosed that the agricultural sector expanded by 4.2 percent in 2023, a notable increase from the 3.3 percent recorded in the preceding year. This growth, he emphasized, has translated into a substantial contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with the agricultural sector accounting for 26.5 percent of GDP in 2023, up from 26.2 percent in 2022.
Moreover, Minister Bashe underscored the pivotal role of the agricultural sector in employment generation and industrial development. He noted that the sector has provided gainful employment to locals at an average rate of 65.6 percent while contributing 65 percent of industrial raw materials, underscoring its multifaceted significance in driving economic growth and sustainability.
In conclusion, Minister Bashe reiterated the government's unwavering commitment to prioritizing agriculture as a cornerstone of Tanzania's socio-economic development agenda, pledging to work tirelessly towards realizing the outlined objectives for the benefit of all citizens.