Govt to roll out youth farming programmes

ZANZIBAR: THE Zanzibar government plans to expand opportunities for young people in agriculture through financing, training and targeted empowerment programmes aimed at increasing youth participation in the sector.

Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, Natural Resources and Livestock, Dr Salum Soud Hamed, said the government was implementing measures to make agriculture more attractive and accessible to young people.

He was responding to questions from Representatives Said Ali Juma (Presidential Appointee) and Juma Usonge (CCMChaani), who sought clarification on the government’s plans to encourage and empower youth to engage in agriculture.

Dr Hamed said the ministry would link young people with financial institutions, including the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB), to enable them to access affordable agricultural loans.

“We intend to prepare programmes and projects that create opportunities for young people, including the Better Tomorrow for Youth in Agriculture Programme, the Dairy Industry Transformation and Climate Change Project (CSDTP) and the Tanzania Food Systems Resilience Project (TFSRP),” he said.

He said the government was also working to change young people’s perceptions of agriculture by providing education on the sector and highlighting the opportunities it offers.

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According to the Deputy Minister, the ministry is developing strategies to reach more young people through the Agricultural Sector Transformation Plan, alongside a draft strategy designed to strengthen youth participation in the horticulture industry.

He said the government also intended to connect young people with the private sector, enabling them to participate in supplying agricultural equipment and services, as well as in major investments implemented through public-private partnerships (PPPs).

“We also want young people to become active participants in agricultural investments and related services through partnerships with the private sector,” he said.

Dr Hamed said the ministry was further planning to establish a comprehensive database to identify farmers across Zanzibar and document the types of agricultural activities they undertake.

He said the database would help the government gain a clearer understanding of the agricultural sector and design programmes that respond more effectively to the needs of farmers, including young people seeking to enter the industry.

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