Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Monday, October 2, 2023.
Samia in Doha attending International Horticultural Expo 2023
President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday arrived in Doha, Qatar’s capital city and main financial hub, to attend the opening ceremony of the International Horticultural Expo 2023, Qatari press reported.
According to reports, President Samia and the accompanying delegation were welcomed upon arrival at Qatar’s Hamad International Airport by Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater.
No further information about the Head of State’s travel to Doha was released.
Known simply as Expo 2023, the event occurred under the theme ‘Green Desert, Better Environment,’ launched on Monday, attracting more than 68 countries and international organisations.
According to reports, the Expo focused on the themes of sustainability, environmental awareness, technology, innovation and modern farming methods.
The opening ceremony was held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar. The Expo will run from October 2, 2023, to March 28, 2024, spanning 179 days.
The ceremony began with the Qatari national anthem, followed by a video titled ‘Green Qatar.’
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar; Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the Bureau International Des Expositions (BIE); and Leonardo Capitano, President of the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), delivered opening remarks.
In their remarks, they emphasised the importance of the exhibition as a global platform where countries showcase their achievements in the fields of modern horticulture and green development regionally and globally, among other exhibition themes.
Monday’s event marked the first international horticultural exhibition hosted in a desert climate country and focused on four primary themes: modern agriculture, technology and innovation, environmental awareness, and sustainability.
India’s Army Chief General visits Tanzania for four-day official visit
India’s Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, left the country on Sunday for a four-day official visit to Tanzania, in a trip that the country’s press has described as India’s attempt at reinforcing the long-standing defence ties between the two nations.
Pande’s visit comes hardly three months since India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar, visited Tanzania from July 5 to July 8, 2023, as part of the world’s most populous country to strengthen ties with Tanzania.
According to reports by the Indian press, while in Tanzania, General Pande will take up defence bilateral engagement issues in his meetings with a host of dignitaries and senior officers from both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar. This includes meeting and holding talks with Tanzania’s Defence Minister, Stergomena Tax.
Pande’s visit coincides with the second India-Tanzania Mini DEFEXPO, currently underway in Dar es Salaam, where India’s growing prowess in the indigenous defence industry is showcased.
India has been exporting arms and ammunition to Tanzania due to strengthening bilateral ties since the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence co-operation was signed in October 2003.
This cooperation, observed by the MoD, was further underscored by the second meeting of the India-Tanzania Joint Defence Cooperation Committee held in Arusha, Tanzania, on June 28 and 29, 2023.
“Both the Indian and Tanzanian Army offer vacancies for each other in professional military courses,” India’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement. “This has helped the personnel from both countries build strong bonds, exchange ideas, and share best practices.”
The statement added that the Tanzanian Army has consistently participated in UN peacekeeping training in India over the last five years. Similarly, a training team of the Indian Army has been deployed at Command and Staff College, Duluti, since 2017.
EU, EAC to launch MARKUP II programme to support small agribusinesses, horticultural producers
The European Union (EU) and the East African Community (EAC) expect to launch the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II) today, October 3, in Arusha to begin a new phase with the objective of supporting small agribusinesses and horticultural producers to compete in international markets.
According to a statement on Monday, the programme focuses on value chains ranging from cocoa and coffee to avocados, spices, and tea. The MARKUP II programme launches after its predecessor, implemented for five years, has ended.
During the course of implementation, the programme supported small agribusinesses and horticultural producers to compete in international markets, with at least 115 companies achieving a collective $16 million in sales and exports.
“MARKUP I also helped draw in US$1 million in investment for over 70 small businesses,” the statement said. “Over 40 business support organisations shared that their work became more effective through their involvement in the programme.”
At the event at the Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha, the EAC and the International Trade Centre (ITC), the joint agency of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the United Nations (UN), will sign a Framework of Engagement to chalk out a new path under MARKUP II, which will run until 2027.
“The renewed efforts will prioritise sectors and value chains within the EAC, which lay emphasis on processing, value addition, diversification, investment, and export linkages,” the statement added.
MARKUP II is a regional project funded by the EU and implemented by the ITC in partnership with the EAC Secretariat.
Farm to Market Alliance, Hello Tractor partner to ‘revolutionise’ agricultural mechanisation
Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA) and Hello Tractor announced on Monday a successful pilot of the latter’s entry into Tanzania, signifying “a significant milestone in revolutionising agricultural mechanisation for smallholder farmers and improving their livelihood.”
FtMA is a consortium of public and private institutions that aims to increase income and strengthen the resilience of smallholders, while Hello Tractor is an agricultural technology company.
In a statement, FtMA said that the eleven-month pilot focused on sensitising and promoting the utilisation and adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) technology devices among tractor owners to optimise tractor service operations through improved fleet management, remote tracking and booking management.
During the pilot, eight booking agents – sixty-five tractor owners – were onboarded and provided with extensive training and capacity-building to use their technology effectively.
The pilot demonstrated the value of mechanisation services such as ploughing and harvesting in enhancing smallholder productivity and farm-level impact.
The pilot was carried out over a production season from September 2022 to March 2023 and provided ploughing services, subsequently expanded from April to July to cover the harvesting season, involving combine harvester operators.
“This technology has not only enabled tractor owners to monitor and manage their fleets efficiently,” FtMA said, “but it has also improved punctual and dependable service delivery to farmers, streamlined operations, minimised downtimes, and empowered tractor owners to deliver cost-effective services to smallholder farmers, thereby contributing to heightened productivity and improved livelihoods.”
Hello Tractor devices were installed in at least 10 tractors, and four combine harvesters across four regions as part of the pilot, resulting in the ploughing of nearly 2,245 acres and harvesting of 971 acres, benefitting no less than 1,251 farmers through the utilisation of Hello Tractor IoT technology with US$ 109,348 generated as revenues from the provision of ploughing and harvesting services at the last mile.
Some tractor owners from piloted areas explained how the technology introduced to them helped them ensure efficiency in their work, recommending them to other tractor owners across the country.
“It’s helped me uncover the exact measurements of my farm, allowing my customers better to grasp the true size of their own plots,” a tractor owner from Mbeya, said.
“What’s more, I can effortlessly manage my fleet right from the comfort of my home. If I notice any unusual activities involving my tractor’s operator, I can quickly address them using the mobile application. It’s like having everything I need right at my fingertips.”
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