ARUSHA: DEPUTY Minister for Industry and Trade, Mr Patrobas Katambi, has directed the Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation and Rural Technology (CAMARTEC) to develop innovations that will make agriculture more attractive as the government advances preparations for the 2026/27 budget.
Mr Katambi issued the directive recently in Arusha during a visit to the centre, where he inspected various agricultural tools designed to support farmers across the country.
He said CAMARTEC should continue establishing centres for the use of agricultural tools to better identify farmers’ needs, including introducing simple rental systems for farmers, particularly those growing maize, sesame, lentils and other crops.
Mr Katambi noted that despite having many farmers, several countries fail to benefit fully from agricultural production due to limited access to modern technology and tools, adding that appropriate technology would promote sustainable agriculture.
He emphasised the importance of proper agricultural tools and innovative farming methods to increase productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and enhance value addition.
“New innovative technology increases production yields and reduces postharvest losses, including the proper use of biogas in rural areas to reduce reliance on firewood,” he said.
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He urged the centre to expand the deployment of biogas technology in rural areas to promote the use of cow dung for cooking, while instructing CAMARTEC to document its financial challenges for consideration in the 2026/27 budget.
Assistant Director of Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Mr Audax Bahweitama, said CAMARTEC’s work was visible and called for wider dissemination of appropriate technology to farmers. Meanwhile,
Acting Director General of CAMARTEC, Engineer Godfrey Mwinama, cited challenges including inadequate laboratories for testing agricultural tools, lack of production workshops and ageing machinery. Despite the challenges, he said the centre continues to produce agricultural tools and supply them to farmers to improve productivity.