My Country is Green
Agriculture is the main part of Tanzania’s economy. Tanzania had over 44 million hectares of arable land with only 33 percent of this amount in cultivation.
Land is a vital asset in ensuring food security, and among the nine main food crops in Tanzania are maize, sorghum, millet, rice, wheat, beans, cassava, potatoes, and bananas. The agricultural industry makes a large contribution to the country’s foreign exchange earnings, with more than US$1 billion in earnings from cash crop exports.
The 6 main cash crops are cashew nuts, coffee, cotton, sisal, tea and tobacco. At one point in its agricultural history, Tanzania was the largest producer of sisal in the world.
“Kilimo Kwanza Resolution is an intervention in the agriculture sector that was approved by the President of Tanzania, Mr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, in 2009..”
Tanzania has an area of 945,000 square kilometres (365,000 sq mi) with inland lakes covering 6 percent of that (59,000 square kilometres (23,000 sq mi)). The Great Rift Valley runs north to south and contains most of the country’s lakes. The country is home to the highest point in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, and the lowest point in the continent, Lake Tanganyika
Tanzania is focusing on agriculture as a means to achieve economic growth. Its plans incorporate private sector engagement including the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania initiative, a public-private partnership to increase agricultural business investments in the country’s southern corridor.
