IRINGA FARMERS PERCEPTION ON EAC AGRI-TRADE AND BUSINESS REGIME

The Iringa Civil Society organization (ICISO) Project Officer Fadhili Sengele (right), briefing the journalists about recent studies on Iringa Small Scale Farmers (SSFs) perception regarding the inclusive and beneficial EAC Agri-trade and business region yesterday. (Photo by Friday Simbaya)

THE recent studies done by small scale farmers (SSFs) facilitation organizations among them, East and southern African small-scale farmers forum (ESAFF) and the national implementation partners MVWATA examined the implications of east Africa community (EAC) region and United Republic of Tanzania (URT)’s own policies and regulation on SSFs in the context of the east Africa cross-border agri-trade regime.

The studies revealed that private sector organizations (PSOs) are more concern with the interests of large scale famer and transnational agri-investments than the concern of small scale farmers (SSFs).

Iringa Civil Society organization (ICISO) Project Officer Fadhili Sengele, told the Guardian reporter yesterday that studies have also revealed that since civil society organizations (CSOs) seem to be receptive to the needs and wants of SSFs in the EAC.

He said that that is the reason why the ICISO supported by the Foundation for Civil Society (FCS) under the EAC CSO integration project in collaboration with Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) Tanzania is working with SSF facilitation organizations and networks in Iringa to established what the SSF demands are in regard to effective engagement and benefit from the EAC agri-trade business administration.

Fadhili said the message formulation session was facilitated by Zaa Twalangeti of the East African Civil Society; Forum (EACSOF) Tanzania.

Iringa based small-scale farmers talking recently during a brainstorming session called by ICISO said the traditional and emerging concerns of SSFs in Iringa include concentration of agricultural markets, limited access to productive resources, limited access to extension services, limited government support, poor access to new innovations and technology.

And the issues of ‘politics of seeds’ and the cumbersome process of accessing agriculture as the traditional and emerging concerns of SSFs financing.

The deliberations was based on experiences of Iringa small scale farmers also pointed to challenges associated with systems which include lack of capacity on the part of small scale farmers to negotiate favourable terms.

Adding that the failure to abide with contract stipulations and asymmetrical information as the reason for low direct volume of SSFs in the EAC agri-trade business.

Further it was noted during the formulation of this policy brief that value addition on crop produce in Iringa is not well developed and this often results in export of raw or semi-processed products that attract much lower prices.

The deliberation also hinted that while progress has been made in processing of fruits and cereals; there are also a few food processing industries still small-scale farmers in Iringa do not access these technologies due high cost.

Therefore despite the fact that the value chain development is essential for the country’s economic growth and poverty reduction efforts, hence the need for increased budgetary allocation towards agricultural sector.

The demand are also drawn from the two Africa wide agricultural development blueprints the Agenda 2063 and the Malabo Declaration on Agriculture (2014-2025) which communicated through the banner slogan “Transforming Africa’s Agriculture for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods through harnessing opportunities for inclusive growth and sustainable development.”