US gives Dar $2.3m to promote horticulture
By JOSEPH MWAMUNYANGE
Special Correspondent

The United States government is to support the horticulture sector in Tanzania under a $2.3 million sponsored projects programme.

The country’s ambassador to Tanzania, Mark Green, said the projects seek to foster economic growth by strengthening smallholder horticultural export market linkages for high-value vegetables and increasing air-freight utilisation by horticultural organisations.

Mr Green said the $2.3 million provided by the American people for projects is part of overall US government direct and multilateral assistance to Tanzania worth more than half a billion dollars in 2008.

According to Mr Green, the US has also provided funding for two years for the Arusha-based Smallholder Horticultural Out-grower Promotion project, which has a field office in Lushoto, Tanga region.

“In collaboration with private sector partners, the project will assist smallholder farmers’ groups to become reliable suppliers of high-value export vegetables through a combination of capacity building, technical training, infrastructure upgrading and market linkages,” said Mr Green.

The US government, through USAid, is funding the Tanzania Airfreight Project (TAP) in collaboration with the Tanzania Horticultural Association.TAP is addressing the airfreight challenges faced by exporters.

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