Dar es Salaam. Tanzania can become self-sufficient in food production if its youth properly participate in the agricultural sector and make use of their labour and expertise.
Speaking at the launch of the AYuTe Africa Tanzania Challenge in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Country Director of Heifer Project International, Mr Mark Tsoxo, emphasised that Tanzania has a large youth population and that current agriculture requires labour and innovative use of technology and resources, which can yield significant results in the agricultural sector.
“Young people are not unwilling to participate in agriculture; they prioritise results over the means to achieve them. Therefore, we need innovation to attract young people to agriculture,” he said in a statement.
The AYuTe Tanzania Challenge was officially launched last year by Heifer International in collaboration with Sahara Ventures, aiming to assist innovative youth in agriculture with access to capital, training, and connections with major investors.
Mr Tsoxo stressed that modern agriculture requires technological advancements, and through the AYuTe challenge (short for Agriculture, Youth, Technology), they aim to empower young people to make the agriculture sector competitive and create jobs.
He also highlighted the fund’s commitment to environmental stewardship in its operations, emphasising its mission to eradicate hunger, reduce poverty, and protect the environment.
Speaking at the event, the CEO of Sahara Ventures, Mr Jumanne Mtambalike, stated that their collaboration with Heifer focuses on supporting Tanzanian youth engaged in innovative and technological agricultural activities to bring their innovations to market and generate employment opportunities.
Mr Mtambalike noted that over 65 percent of jobs in Africa come from the agricultural sector, which contributes 32 percent of the continent’s GDP.
“Therefore, in partnership with Heifer, we believe our work is crucial in uplifting youth and creating these opportunities,” he said.
Mr Emmanuel Senzighe, the Project Manager of AYuTe Challenge Tanzania, announced that this year’s competition winner will receive Sh28 million, the runner-up Sh21 million, and the third-place winner Sh14 million.
The AYuTe Challenge was launched last year by the minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Abdallah Ulega, who emphasised that technology could attract many young people to engage in agricultural activities such as farming and fishing.
Mr Ulega urged continued efforts to enhance the use of technology in agriculture as a means to encourage youth participation in the sector.
The initiative is designed to improve the agricultural landscape by providing support to small-scale farmers and promoting innovative ideas to enhance youth involvement in agriculture, recognising it as the largest employment sector in the country.
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