Support small-scale farmers,urges oxfam

>Small-scale farmers are suffering, says an academic.Dr Damian Gabagambi of the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro said 50 years after independence smallholder-farmers were far from benefiting from what they produce apart from using it as food.

>Rural dwellers of Tanzania, especially peasants and those in the informal sectors- have reason to smile now as a home-grown solution that guarantees their social welfare has been developed.

As small-scale fishing on South-Africa's west coast declines, fishermen in Saldanha Bay are concerned their way of life may disappear entirely.

>At least 100,000 small-scale businesspeople are expected to benefit from an initiative dubbed ‘Banking on Change’ by next year.

Tanzania Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (TEITI) is targeting small scale miners as it struggles to increase the number of companies to be covered in a series of its reconciliation reports.

When Mr Simon Rufunga, a dealer in metal products, applied for a loan, he thought he had found the right solution for his business woes.

Improvements in food processing and packaging used by both small and medium scale-traders in the country have impressed President Jakaya Kikwete.

>Over the past few months, we have informed and developed arguments as to why and how private enterprises and the public sector can access funding from the public through an organised local capital markets for their growth, development and welfare.

Tanzania Women Miners Association chairperson Eunice Negele (L) briefs Hamis Komba (C), Assistant Commissioner for Minerals in the Energy and Minerals ministry, on the challenges facing small-scale miners. By Sylivester Domasa Women digging into the country’s male dominated small scale mining sector are calling on the government to support them with requisite equipment and working capital even as reports say 3.1bn/- interest free loans meant for small scale miners is laying idle...