Tanzania has became the 19th African country and the first from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to sign the African Union and NEPAD's - Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Compact.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam, Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete declared that there would be no back-pedalling on Tanzania's commitment to ensuring that the ongoing agriculture initiatives such as Kilimo Kwanza (‘Agriculture First') lead to a meaningful transformation of the country's agriculture.
"We in Tanzania are seriously committed to transforming our agriculture and overcoming existing challenges, which have kept our agriculture backward and less productive for far too long" said President Kikwete.
The President also recalled that the country had in the past taken a number of policy initiatives and measures without realising the desired outcomes of a modern and highly productive agriculture sector.
He described the signing of the CAADP Compact as a unique opportunity to complement his Government's efforts and enhance the contribution of the private sector to the development of the country's agriculture sector.
Komla Bissi, a specialist on Agri-business at the NEPAD Agency urged all Tanzanians and stakeholders in the agriculture sector to continue to work together in order to boost the growth and development of agriculture for the benefit of their people.
"CAADP provides an opportunity for Tanzania to further strengthen its agricultural development efforts to achieve greater impact on the country's economy and food security" said Komla.
