Zanzibar unveils major reforms to enhance blue economy, agriculture

Unguja. The Zanzibar government is undertaking various reforms to develop the blue economy sector, which includes fishing and agriculture, to boost revenue and employment in the isles.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, Natural Resources and Livestock, Mr Ali Khamis Juma, said this yesterday when gracing the first edition of “Africa’s Top Venture Building Forum”.

He told the gathering that among the strategies in place include implementing modern irrigation plans designed to increase farmers’ incomes through more productive methods.

During the two-day forum, which focused on “Grow Africa Innovation and Economic Competition,” Mr Juma also said that the government aims to ensure that people benefit from the blue economy through marine products in Zanzibar.

“We are ready to cooperate with various sectors to ensure that youth groups benefit from these investments,” he said.

Shigeki Komatsubara from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Tanzania, said that the UNDP supports efforts to fight poverty by nurturing young people’s talents in creativity. He noted that such efforts would significantly boost the economy and community development by incorporating people’s input.

He said the “Grow Africa” conference aligns with UNDP’s goals to prioritise young people’s creativity in entrepreneurial projects, which are essential for wealth creation and income generation.

“The United Nations Development Program supports creative efforts aimed at empowering young people in entrepreneurial work by enhancing their talents and fully involving them in contributing to the national economy,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Said Suleiman, who is the Executive Director of the CUBE Innovation Hub, a civil society organisation, said they are collaborating with international institutions to promote self-employment among young people in the agricultural sector and Blue Economy, focusing on marine product production and processing.

He emphasised their commitment to investing in systems that enable young people to engage in organic farming and marine products without harming the marine environment.

“This conference aims at exploring opportunities and collaborating with various stakeholders to support young people in projects that will generate private employment in agriculture, the Blue Economy, and marine products,” he said.