“The partnership will address challenges facing farmers in the production and marketing of soybean in the country.”
An innovation platform that brings together all the stakeholders along the soybean value chain from farmers to government and non-government organizations and the private sector to address the challenges facing soybean sector development in Tanzania was launched at the end of last week in Dar es Salaam.
The platform was launched by Jackson Nkuba, Assistant Director of Research and Development of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives (MAFC) on behalf of Ms Sophia Kaduma the Permanent Secretary (PS – MAFC) at the end of a one and a half day meeting of the stakeholders in the soybean sub-sector.
Speaking at the event, Dr Nkuba noted soybean production in Tanzania has been increasing steadily over the years with the current production estimated at 5000 tons. The government soybean sector strategy, he said, plans to increase this production to 2 million tons by the year 2020.
However, he noted, even though the demand for soybean has increased, producers often fail to meet market demand due to lack of access to inputs such as good seeds, inoculants, and fertilizers; finance and markets; and smallholder farmers’ lack of knowledge and skills of modern farming methods.
“To address these obstacles we need to coordinate the efforts of all the different actors and development partners to have tangible and quick results. I am therefore pleased to see the formation of this innovation platform to promote the development of the soybean sector in Tanzania. I am also very pleased to be selected as its patron,” said Dr Nkuba while reading the PS’ message.
The idea of forming a platform was initiated in December 2013 at the launch of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Soya ni Pesa Project, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and implemented in Ruvuma, Njombe, and Morogoro regions.
“CRS is very pleased to see the launch of this platform and will continue to support it and the development of the soybean sector in Tanzania,” the CRS representative Ruth Junkin said during the launch.
Frederick Baijukya, an agronomist with the International Institute of Tropical Agricultural (IITA), noted that soybean had real potential to make a difference in the livelihoods and nutrition of smallholder farmers in Tanzania. “Soybean can be processed in the home into food products which can improve the nutrition and in turn health of the communities and, in particular, children. Soybean is also a source of cash for farmers and can also improve soils through fixing Nitrogen in the soils.”
It is envisaged that the platform will enhance soybean production in the country by facilitating learning and information sharing among all the actors along the soybean value chain, improving coordination of interventions, and linking different actors together. This in turn will lead to proper utilization of available and emerging opportunities.
The Soybean Innovation Platform is a joint effort by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the International Institute of Tropical Agricultural (IITA), the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Cooperatives (MAFC), the Rural Urban Development Initiative (RUDI), Kijenge Animal Products, TANFEED International, CARITAS Njombe, CARITAS Songea, Women & Poverty Alleviation in Tanzania (WOPATA), MUVEK, the Clinton Development Initiative (CDI), Seed Co, and the Postal Bank of Tanzania.