20110613
Xinhua
DAR ES SALAAM, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday pledged U. S. commitment to supporting Tanzania's national efforts to fight poverty, hunger and malnutrition.


Clinton made the remarks while launching a project under the "Feed the Future Initiative", the U.S. government's global hunger and food security initiative targeting specific countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

At the launch of the project in Kibaha District in the east coastal region of Pwani, she called for improved farming efforts as the East African nation has great potential for an agriculture- led economic growth with abundant land, water, resources, motivated agricultural entrepreneurs and access to international markets, the online newspaper Daily News reported.

"The climate is generally favorable for many crops and with increased irrigation and improved seeds, productivity and yields could increase rapidly," said Clinton, underlining the need to empower women to help feed the nation and fight poverty and malnutrition.

The U.S. increases the funding of Feed the Future four times as much to bring to 6.7 million U.S. dollars in addition to investment in agriculture, according to the U.S. secretary of state.

She mentioned the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania under the support of the World Bank; the Africa Green Revolution and the agreeable partnership between the Tanzanian government and the private sector, as one of the trade opportunities that could boost the country's economic base.

Clinton also announced a new package in support of agriculture in Tanzania with investment of 70 million dollars in support of the Tanzania's agricultural technological advancement for food security in the next two years if the U.S. Congress endorses, which is a 14 times increase to the value of investment in 2008/ 2009.

For his part, Tanzanian Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda, who held talks with Clinton earlier in the day in Dar es Salaam, thanked the U.S. government for the extended support, pledging that the Tanzanian government will work with committed partners like the U. S. government in addressing the challenges that the agriculture sector faces.

As the main driver of the economy of Tanzania with more than 25 percent of GDP and 75 percent of the labor force, agriculture sector in the nation faces the challenges including delayed delivery of farm inputs and technical assistance to farmers, application of poor technology (handhoe farming), lack of extensive irrigation projects and lack of a sustainable plan to add value to crops.

Distribution of relief food is not acceptable, Pinda said, adding that the best way to fight poverty and vitamin deficiency is through empowerment of the local farmers.

Researchers have shown that an agriculture driven economy raised the GDP faster than other sectors which might be complicated, said the Tanzanian prime minister, who called for full support to farmers.

Later in the day, Clinton visited a Health Center for inauguration of a program tailored to prevent Gender Based Violence, commending the Tanzanian government for the facility which also offers health services.

On Monday, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete is set to meet the visiting U.S. secretary of for bilateral talks, which is to be followed by a joint press conference at the State House before Clinton's departure on the same day.

Arriving here on Saturday from Zambia's capital Lusaka, where the 2011 African Growth and Opportunity Act Forum was held on Thursday and Friday under the theme "Enhanced Trade Through Increased Competitiveness, Value addition and Deeper regional Integration", Clinton is on a five-day African trip that will also take her to Ethiopia.