JOINT COORDINATING COMMITTEE-TANSHEP, 12/02/2020-DODOMA

THE FIRST YEAR OF TANSHEP IMPLEMENTATION IN A PILOT THREE REGIONS. The fact that to implement SHEP approach, the government commitment is very important since the TANSHEP (JICA) intends to work closely with the local and regional governments of particular regions where the Farmer's Groups which are direct beneficiaries of this SHEP approach are from. The first year (Jan, 2019 - Jan, 2020) of the first term has completed since the introduction and implementation of SHEP approach as pilot activities in a three regions of Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Tanga. During the first year, there was a partial government commitment. Now on the second year of the first term of the implementation of SHEP approach in Tanzania, the government through PO-RALGs has promised the full commitment to the implementation of TANSHEP. During JCC (Joint Coordinating Committee) meeting held at Kilimo IV (Dodoma), the representative from PO-RALG said that "due to the facts that Tanzania is blessed with a huge opportunity in that sub-sector (horticultural sub-sector), hence the government is now fully committed to the implementation of TANSHEP for the benefits of households and national GDP as a whole". In his speech he informed the JCC members that the government will make sure budget to support farmer's groups is arranged in every particular local authorities which implement TANSHEP. This government commitment is for making sure that in order to increase the households income and national GDP, the Tanzanian farmers not only of horticultural crop producers but also all the agricultural crops producers in Tanzania change their mindset from "grow and sell" to "grow to sell" with the slogan "anzia sokoni malizia shambani kwa kipato zaidi". TANSHEP in its first year of implementation, it managed to share goals with farmers, to make farmers aware of the situation and market especially by conducting market survey, encourage farmers to make decisions including formulation of Action Plan. And now TANSHEP is in the stage of equipping farmers with the solutions including arranging field training as now farmers are in the field for producing what the market wants. All this efforts aiming to change farmers from farming as business to farming for business after attaining self determination through the SHEP approach. TANSHEP management (under JICA) believes that the knowledge provided to farmers (farming after knowing the market) will not perish after TANSHEP project reaches its end.