Arusha – Former Prime Minister and Chairman of the President’s Advisory Council on Food and Agriculture, Mizengo Peter Pinda, has called on research institutions to strengthen the role of science, technology and innovation in agriculture to increase national revenue and improve food security.
Mr Pinda made the remarks while officially opening the Fourth Annual General Meeting and Seminar of the Crop Science Association of Tanzania (CROSAT), held under the theme: "Advancing Climate-Resilient Crop Productivity through Sustainable Soil and Water Management." The seminar supports government initiatives such as the Agricultural Sector Development Programme Phase II (ASDP II) and the AMP 10/30 Agenda.
Highlighting the sector’s contribution, he said agriculture directly generated Sh214.4 billion in tax revenue during the 2023/24 fiscal year, mainly from export taxes. "These revenues could grow significantly, potentially double or triple, if our research institutions strengthen the application of science, technology, and innovation in the sector," he said.
Mr Pinda stressed that sustainable soil and water management is vital for productivity and food security. "The government continues to invest in irrigation, soil fertility management, and climate-smart technologies, especially for smallholder farmers. You too should enhance technology and innovation to support these efforts," he urged.
Citing recent achievements, he noted that 65.6 percent of Tanzanians are directly engaged in agriculture, with food crop production rising from 17.1 million tonnes in 2021/22 to over 20.4 million tonnes in 2022/23—a 19 percent increase. He also highlighted government support for research, with Sh40.73 billion allocated to the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), enabling the development of 64 new technologies to boost productivity and resilience.
"Science and innovation must not remain confined to laboratories or documents—they must reach the fields to increase productivity and improve livelihoods," Pinda said.
CROSAT Chairperson, Prof Kallunde Sibuga, called on Pinda to serve as the association’s patron to advance its objectives.
Meanwhile, Professor Joseph Ndunguru, Director General of the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA), highlighted that more than 580 million people in Africa depend on agriculture, yet the sector contributes only 25 percent to the continent’s GDP.
