Agriculture and natural resources

Overall Objective: to increase productivity in the agricultural sector (crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry) and achieve national and household food security.

Specific Objective

Specific Action

Crops and livestock

to create good conditions for marketing agricultural products

	develop an efficient, liberalised, marketing system for agricultural products, including food processing and storage
	commission a study on clove marketing to identify problems and opportunities for the liberalisation of the industry, and develop a gradual liberalisation as recommended by the study
	promote linkages between agriculture and the tourist sector

to strengthen agricultural support services for short-term poverty reduction including improving food security

	promote public/private seed production and multiplication
	strengthen agricultural extension
	strengthen animal and plant quarantine facilities
	promote integrated crop production and pest management technologies
	strengthen early warning and food crops monitoring system

to develop an agricultural investment programme for poverty reduction

	identify key products for investment
	focus on clove rehabilitation
	promote investment in rain harvesting systems
	develop efficient organic farming methods

Fisheries

to improve productivity and marketing of fishery products and provide support to fishing people and seaweed farmers

	study the productivity and future possibilities of inshore and offshore fishing grounds
	improve the ability of the Fisheries Department to control fishing practices
	improve fish marketing
	review legislation on fisheries
	promote seaweed farming programmes, especially for women
	provide fisheries boats, nets and equipment and marketing facilities in the more poverty prone areas

Forestry and Environment

to stimulate social forestry, agro forestry and to develop small-scale wood fuel programmes

	promote community-based, social forestry development programmes
	encourage forest lot and wood fuel re-plantation
	develop tree nurseries for commercial species
	promote research on appropriate agro-forestry systems
	promote a national tree planting campaign
	promote sound water and soil conservation
	strengthen and implement regulations for environmental protection through community involvement

Agriculture is critical for successful poverty reduction in the rural areas. Improvement in food crops, rehabilitation of clove plantations and encouraging diversification into other cash crops and livestock development are all crucial elements. Investment in research and diversification, and streamlining of farmer organisations and the ministry are also essential.

There are four main strategies for agriculture:

	redesign of marketing structures
	strengthening of agricultural services to poor people
	developing agricultural investment programmes
	strengthening the organisation and management of agriculture

Growth in agriculture will have the most impact on poverty reduction.

Separate targets have been set for particular crops.

	Cloves - there are natural changes in harvests, uncertainties about external markets, and a problem with smuggling but the target is for yields to increase by 5% each year over the three year period.
	Other Export Crops - if the search for alternative export crops proves successful then high growth rates can be expected but until then the target is for yields to increase by about 4.5% each year.
	Food Crops - the more we grow the less we have to import. The target is to increase the growth rate from 1.5% to 3% each year so as to at least keep up with population growth.
	Livestock, fish, forest products and fruit - growth in the production of these has grown faster than food crops during the 1990s. The target is for growth of 4.5% each year.

The external support situation:

	Much of the spending in this sector is to buy equipment from China.
	When the IDA small-holder support project finishes the only external support will be for the BADEA feasibility study and a small amount from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for food security
	There is no commitment to fisheries and very little for other natural resources other than the Jonzani-Chwaka Park development project.
	The Sector needs assistance with institutional development