March 19, 2009
Tanzania to issue subsidised inputs to three million farmers
The government of Tanzania plans to issue subsidized agricultural inputs to three million farmers, up from 700,000 currently getting such services, the state-run Daily News newspaper has reported, citing finance and economic ministry permanent secretary Ramadhani Khijjah.
"The president has directed that this should be effected from the next farming season," the daily quoted Khijjah as saying in a report posted on its Web site Tuesday.
It added that the funds for the implementation of the master plan will be sourced from various financiers in the coming fiscal year.
Khijjah said development partners including India and the World Bank had, through the Agricultural Sector Development Program, set aside some funds aimed at introducing modern farming and gradual abolition of the use of hand-hoe, the daily said.
Tanzania's agricultural produce include corn, sugarcane and cotton.
