Farmers` organizations can support sustainable agriculture

24 July 2007, IPP Media
URL: http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2007/07/21/94851.html

Dar es Salam: In developing countries, no government has ever failed to meddle in agricultural development, with good or bad intentions. In Tanzania alone, we have come across so many state intervention actions into the farm sector, could be more frequently that one could imagine of any other country in Africa.

In the early 1970s for instance, we came up with the notion that ``Siasa ni Kilimo`` (literally put politics is all about agriculture ) and ``Kilimo cha Kufa na Kupona`` (farming is matter of life or death) and with the hitherto out of favour Villagilisation Programme, that went hand in hand with privatization of coffee and sisal estates.

In particular during, during and after Villagelisation Programme and privatization, the state assumed key roles in agricultural development of the country, much so after suffocating co-operative societies and unions.

By pushing off people from their traditional villages and collectivizing them at a place though favourable by state agents, this was believed would make it easier for authorities to support farming activities by supplying inputs and extension workers.

The state took over the role of supplying inputs and marketing crop commodities through state-owned crop authorities with a neatly styled top down strategy which did not deliver the desired results, even so in the aspects of food security and rural development.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out constructively and so from early 1980s, the government retreated from clamping its hands firm of the agriculture sector, partly because of external donor pressures that came about in the form Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs), closely followed by the process of deregulation and liberalization.

Subsidies to farm inputs were also scrapped, though have been selectively re-introduced in the last two years.

At least, as a matter of policy and partly practice, the private sector was called upon to fill in the institutional vacuum left by the retreating government.

As the economy gradually became market-led, market forces were freely allowed to dictate the fate of the farm sector, and policy makers believed if and when everything was allowed to swing lonely well; the hopes were benefits would trickle down to all stakeholders, in the end of it achieving food security.

Though Tanzania has generally been able to feed its population even during the hopeless years of moderate drought, the International Federation of Agricultural Producers is convinced that a new strategy for agricultural development and food security is badly needed.

That strategy must redefine the roles of the government, farmers` organizations and the private sector institutions in developing agriculture.

To achieve the needed increase in food production, farmers have to take up much greater responsibilities in the present market structures through decentralization, it says.

These responsibilities should pertain not only to the production sector, but also to the development of rural communities and agriculture in general.

Before and just after independence in 1961, farmers were united by their strong cooperative societies which were unfortunately later taken over and destroyed by the state machinery.

It therefore goes that the revival of farmers` self-created organizations is essential for the eradication of poverty and success of the farming communities in this century.

Currently, over 80 percent of the country`s population found in rural areas and these are the farmers of Tanzania. The farmers therefore represent the majority of the working population.

It is vital that they are able to articulate their views and needs in a coordinated manner for the purpose of self organization, as well as for the purpose of influencing decision makers, and for making effective alliances.

As we plan to revive co-operative societies, unions and savings and co-operative societies (Saccos), the question of representation is of critical importance.

At least for the time being, such organizations should be allowed to be free and democratically elect their own leaders and party and government patronage should never again be allowed to settle in.

In the end, they would become strong and genuine farmers` organisations governed by farmers and working for farmers` interests.

Women and the youths should be well represented in these organizations, as these are the major working folk in the rural areas.