Smallholder farmers in the country have released their statement that discourse a list of demands to be worked on by the elected government leaders. The statement was issued by members of Network of small-scale farmer’s group in Tanzania (MVIWATA) during their Annual General Meeting.
Speaking to the participants recently in Morogoro, MVIWATA chairperson Mrs.Veronica Sophu said that farmers who are the main producers of national food and cash crops and who contribute to national income are less valued by the government.
MVIWATA Chairperson Mrs. Veronica Sophu reading statement on Smallholder Farmers’ Demands
She further explained that, smallholder farmers comprise 80 percent of rural residents in Tanzania who majority are the voters and have pointed out seven demands with order of priority to be recognized and implemented by the elected government officials without political biasness.
Mentioning the priorities, Mrs. Sophu said that smallholder farmers want their production systems to be nationally recognized that is having legal protection for local seeds and smallholder farmers land similar to forest reserve land.
The Chairperson added that, there is a need for government to ensure that farming inputs reach smallholder farmers on time and insisted on allocating more national agriculture budget and ensure proper management of the latter.
“We smallholder farmers are aware of the government effort towards increasing national agricultural budget yet it has not reached to 10 percent as required by the ratified Maputo declaration of 2003 as a means to accelerate development in agricultural sector” she said.
The basic social services in the rural areas should not be provided as a product but as required services to all citizens
MVIWATA members and guests listening attentively to Smallholder Farmers’ Demands
Another priority mentioned was that of reliable accessibility to basic social services in rural areas such as health, quality education, clean and safe water, quality road, affordable source of energy, and security to smallholder farmers’ properties without biasness.
She further said that, the elected leaders should understand that they have been elected by the citizens and thus are responsible with retaining leadership ethics and nurturing democracy by promoting right to speech in the country. Also the local government should be the epicenter for national democracy and a channel to citizens’ participation in bringing about development through working on available resources for existing programmes.
On green revolution, the Chairperson explained that, smallholder farmers are of the view that the programme is benefiting commercial large scale farmers and not them.
The concept is built on the basis of despising smallholder farmers by mirroring them as the source to economic poverty in the country. Alternatively, it has focused on promoting commercial farming which is the catalyst for land grabbing used by smallholder farmers and destruction of the environment. She explained.
They insisted that the system is supposed to be changed from green revolution to farming revolution.
They also reiterate to the government to work upon the longstanding land conflicts between farmers and pastoralists, they argue the government to find solution to the problem that involves small producers against large producers, small farmers against large scale farmers.
Mrs. Sophu explained that, they want to see there is ownership of resources and control of economy whereby we need to see food processing plant are revived in order to increase market opportunities and employment to normal citizen.
She ended saying, farmers are supposed to collaborate together to bring changes and that they are not ready to witness a system that produces few riches while leaving majority at poverty line.
