Tanzânia: Take irrigation seriously
FÓRUM AGRICULTURA IRRIGADA
Speaking of the potential in agriculture, Tanzania can rightly be said to be East Afica’s sleeping giant. A huge per cent of the country’s arable land is irrigable. However, how much of it are we bothering to water in a bid to increase agro-production? Available data shows it is a mere 10 per cent!
That is why we hasten to commend efforts by the Private Agricultural Sector Support Trust (PASS Trust) for setting aside Sh4 billion to revive irrigation projects that have become dormant.
It would be interesting to know how much of Tanzania’s agriculture budget goes into irrigation. If most irrigation systems that were in place decades ago have become dormant, where did the money go?
Clearly,
there must be some officails with the ministry responsible who have
been sitting on their job. It is just as well actors from the private
sector are comming in to save the day. PASS Trust’s move is a wakeup
call to the sleeping giant.
The extent of irrigation we undertake
will dertermine our level of innovation. There will be a need to take
rainwater harvesting more seriously, for rainwater is a resource we
waste for not being innovative and creative.
Fonte:http://thecitizen.co.tz/editorial-analysis/19-editorial-comments/29569-take-irrigation-seriously
