Lukuvi: Use of high tech to boost agriculture in Southern Highlands

The Southern Highlands zone residents were
yesterday challenged to adopt science and
technology methods in agriculture to add value
to their crops.
The Minister of State Prime Minister’s Office
(Policy Coordination and Parliamentary
Affairs), William Lukuvi, said here that
application of science and technology in
agriculture could bring tangible results to
farmers.
He made the call while speaking at a dialogue
on Smart Partnership that brought together
Mbeya, Njombe and host Iringa regions where
he also said that the use of technology in
agriculture will increase productivity in the
sector.
“It is an undisputable fact that agriculture is
the most dependable sector in our zone and it
is high time we took serious measures,
including application of high tech and science
to boost it,” Lukuvi said.
He said zonal smart partnership dialogues have
come at the right time since people will have
ample time to air their views on the use of
science and technology as catalyst towards
revolutionising agriculture.
“After receiving opinions from the people,
especially in the dialogues, the use of science
and technology will be accommodated in the
national development strategy so as to give
agriculture a new push,” the minister
explained.
Speaking at the same occasion, Mbeya Regional
Commissioner Abbas Kandoro, said his region
is producing more rice and fruits, requesting
that it would be appropriate to employ science
and technology from the time of preparing
seeds.
"It is our optimism that the smart partnership
dialogues will unleash various interests from
groups in society and the technology should
help in agribusiness,” Kandoro said.
He said Small Industries Development
Organisation (SIDO) and Vocational Education
Training Authority (VETA) should concentrate in
producing small equipment that will help
stimulate agricultural growth.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of Tanzania
National Business Council (TNBC), Raymond
Mbilinyi, said smart partnership dialogues are
meant to get opinions from different groups
before they are presented to the national
smart partnership dialogue next month.
"Since we are running short of time before the
national smart partnership dialogue between
June 1 and 2, this year we decided to organise
these zonal dialogues,” Mbilinyi said, adding
that the International Smart Partnership
Dialogue will be held in Tanzania between June
28 and July 1, this year.
TNBC is co-ordinating all zonal and national
smart partnership dialogues.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN