District Councils Urged To Allocate Land For BBT Initiative

District councils nationwide are being urged to allocate land for the implementation of the Building Better Tomorrow (BBT) initiative.

Deputy Minister for Agriculture, David Silinde, issued this call in response to a query posed by Special Seats legislator Subira Mgalu during a parliamentary session.

Ms. Mgalu inquired about the government’s plans to introduce the BBT project in the Rufiji Basin. In his response, the deputy minister disclosed that as of March this year, a total of 340,245.3 acres had been designated for the program countrywide, with a focus on soil health assessments.

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The Ministry aims to kick off BBT projects in 100 district councils in the 2024/2025 fiscal year, requiring each council to allocate 200 hectares of land for irrigation infrastructure development and skills provision.

According to Silinde, the councils will also bear the responsibility of enrolling youths from within their areas who will benefit from the programme. . The BBT-YIA initiative aims to engage young people in the agricultural sector, fostering sustainable livelihoods and empowering them through training and mentorship.

“I, therefore, call upon Ms Mgalu to urge her council to earmark land so that it can be included in the list of 100 councils that will benefit from the programme,” the deputy minister urged.

Regions such as Dodoma, Mbeya, Singida, Tanga, Njombe, and Kagera have already earmarked land for the BBT project, with initial preparations underway in Dodoma Region.

With Tanzania boasting one of the world’s youngest populations, efforts like BBT are crucial to address barriers faced by youth entering the labor market, including limited access to land and financial services. President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration has championed initiatives like BBT to overcome these challenges and support the nation’s youth in agribusiness endeavors.