Agriculture yet to make significant contribution to Tanzania’s GDP
Agriculture Minister Japhet Hasunga. Photo |Said Khamis
What you need to know:
The government Thursday, May 23 admitted that despite deliberate initiatives to bolster the agriculture sector, its contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is still not in a good shape.
Agriculture minister Japhet Hasunga said in 2017 the sector’s contribution to GDP stood at 28.7 per cent.
Dar es Salaam. The government admitted that despite deliberate initiatives to bolster agriculture sector, its contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is still not in a good shape.
According to the agriculture minister Japhet Hasunga in 2017 the sector’s contribution to GDP stood at 28.7 per cent.
He added that under the period of review, the sector absorbed 65.5 and 10 per cent of labor force in direct and indirect employment respectively.
Mr Hasunga, who also doubles as Vwawa lawmaker (CCM) was speaking Thursday night, May 23, during the fourth Mwananchi Thought Leadership Forum, Under the theme ‘Agriculture, our lifeline’.
"It is high time all agriculture stakeholders scratched their heads and come up with the reasons as to why the sector was not that productive despite the government's several statements to spur its performance," suggested Mr Hasunga.
He cited some slogans used in the sector whose growth rate in the first quarter of 2019 stood at 7.1 per cent as ' Siasa na Kilimo', 'Kufa na Kupona', 'Kilimo Kwanza' and 'Mpango Kabambe'.
"We need to ask ourselves what factors are actually impeding the performance of the sector. Is it lack of opportunities? or lack of assured market or is it unfriendly laws and regulations?" he stressed.
