Minister stresses balanced diets to fight malnutrition

**TANGA: **MINISTER for Livestock and Fisheries, Dr Bashiru Ally has called for increased consumption of nutritious foods and balanced diets, saying higher food production alone cannot eliminate malnutrition without sustainable food systems.

He said communities have continued to face the dual challenges of child stunting and rising overweight and obesity among adults despite improvements in agricultural, livestock and fisheries production.

“Food production alone is not enough without nutritious food,” Dr Ally said in a speech read on his behalf by Tanga Regional Commissioner, Dr Batilda Burian, during the national climax of World Food Day celebrations in Tanga yesterday.

He urged the general public to adopt balanced diets comprising milk, meat, eggs, fish, vegetables, fruits, cereals and legumes to improve nutrition and address both undernutrition and excessive weight gain.

According to the minister, stunting among children under five declined nationally from 34 per cent in 2015/16 to 30 per cent in 2022, while Tanga Region recorded a decrease from 34 per cent in 2018 to 24.1 per cent in 2022.

He said the progress needed to be sustained through greater public awareness of healthy eating habits and increased consumption of nutrient-rich foods.

Milk production increased from 4.01 billion litres in 2024/25 to 4.22 billion litres in 2025/26, but annual consumption remained at approximately 70.5 litres per person, below the recommended 200 litres, Dr Ally said.

Fish production also rose from 599,201 tonnes to 659,243 tonnes over the same period, while annual meat consumption stood at 18.4 kilogrammes per person against a recommended 50 kilogrammes.

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Egg consumption was 132 per person annually, compared with the recommended 300.

The minister called on farmers, livestock keepers and fishers to embrace modern technologies, minimise post-harvest losses and add value to their products to strengthen food security and improve nutrition.

He also urged communities to adopt climate-resilient farming practices, improve livestock feed and infrastructure and observe safety measures in fishing activities.

Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Professor Peter Msoffe, called on farmers to adopt modern technologies to increase productivity and respond to climate change.

“Yesterday’s technologies cannot address climate change,” he said, stressing the importance of innovation in building resilient agricultural systems.

Held under the theme “Innovation Today for Better Nutrition Tomorrow Towards Vision 2050,” the celebrations featured exhibitions by more than 58 institutions showcasing innovations across the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors.

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