Tanzania PM looking at assembly plant for agricultural equipment

The Tanzania Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda, has asked PT Rutan Company of Indonesia to send their experts to assess the possibility of assembling agricultural equipment such as tractors in Tanzania to enhance the Kilimo Kwanza program.

He said this yesterday at the company's headquarters when he visited the company to see various agricultural equipment that are made by the company.'' I assure you that there is a lot of market as Tanzania is implementing the ' agriculture first ' program which goes together with the use of modern technologies in farming '' said the prime minister. Pinda added, '' Not only that the agricultural equipment market exists in Tanzania, but even in other seven surrounding countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.'' He argued that assembling the equipment in Tanzania particularly power tillers, would reduce their prices from the current range of eight to ten million. '' Tanzania needs more power tillers from the fact that we have more peasants,'' he further explained. The prime minister further directed the Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Stephen Wassira to make sure that he works on the assignment so that Tanzania can collaborate with the company in future. Started in 1942, PT Rutan Company produces various farm equipment including tractors, power tillers, water pumps, irrigation machines, generators and aluminum fishing boats to mention but a few. The prime minister visited the company on his last day of the three day visit to Indonesia. Before that, he was in South Korea for the same purpose. He expects to be back in the country on September 18, this month. He was accompanied by the Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives Stephen Wassira, the Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Environment from the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, Burhan Saadat Haji and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ambassador Seif Idd.