NEWSLETTER 1 NEWSLETTER April-May, 2010

TANZANIA LAUNCHES AGRO-DATA SYSTEMSTAT Country

IN THIS ISSUE INSIDE How others reported CountrySTAT launch.. page 3

Tanzania CountrySTAT web launch short- changed...... page4 2 April-May, 2010 NEWSLETTER TANZANIA LAUNCHES AGRO-DATA SYSTEM

By CountrySTAT Reporter “Through a coredata base, anzania recorded a major stride today policy makers (February 24th 2010) in its effort to con- and researchers quer hunger and reduce poverty when it can group data launched a web-based system that hosts across thematic national statistical data, briefly referred to areas, such as asT CountrySTAT. production, trade, The web system was officially launched by consumption and the Director of Policy and Planning in the Ministry many others in of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr Emannuel Achayo on behalf of his minister, Mr order to study Stephen Wasira, who had other equally important relationships and commitments outside the country. processes”. Speaking before the launch, Mr Achayo pledged that lead agricultural ministries would sustain Coun- trySTAT Tanzania database system because, in his own words, “we had the financial means to do that”. different sources. “We must place the current Ms Albina who was speaking be- system of CountrySTAT-Tanzania in He paid glowing tribute to the United Nations the context of an on-going process Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) fore welcoming Mr Achayo to officially launch the CountrySTAT said: of implementation, maintenance and for designing and financing the project respectively. continuous and sustainable develop- “Through a core database, policy ment”. STAT makers and researchers can group “I would like to assure all who spared their time She explained that what this in this initiative that the CountrySTAT database data across thematic areas, such as production, trade, consumption and meant was that in the subsequent system is going to be sustained because the cost for meetings, the technical working group its sustainability is within our reach,” he said. many others in order to study relation- ships and processes”. for the CountrySTAT-Tanzania would be required to enrich and further refine The DPP’s pledge over the government’s com- “The CountrySTAT project is built the existing series. mitment to ensure the sustainability of the project to provide an easy support to data dissemination and as a common sta- The FAO Representative laid was extremely important given the fact that in the accent on the ownership of the Country past, scores of developing countries that include tistical framework to help in decision making,” she said. CountrySTAT-Tanzania by the govern- Tanzania are known to have collapsed as soon as ment. donor support closed shop. Ms Albina said managing informa- Her stress here lay in the fact that Mr Achayo named two things that made the tion was easier if data was organized by classification. although the web system had been introduction and operation of the CountrySTAT data- designed by FAO at its headquarters base system extremely important for Tanzania. “Classification has to be suffi- in Rome, Italy, there was now a dire One, he said, it lay in the fact that agriculture ciently structured to help data retrieval need on the part of the Tanzanian provided the bases of Tanzania’s economy, account- and to be flexible to be adapted to government not only to make full use ing for 26 percent of GDP, 95 percent of consumed countries’ needs,” she stressed. of it, but to own and care for it. food in the country, 55.9 percent of inflation basket She said after the CountrySTAT’s She said she was particularly and 65 percent of raw materials for t he country’s launch, it was important to focus proud to note that out of the 17 coun- industries. on three important areas which she tries in Africa, Tanzania was one of the And secondly, he said, since provision of data named as: first to officially launch its CountryS- and growth of statistics on the income and wealth of The strengthening of its (Coun- TAT system. agricultural households in Tanzania had, for years, trySTAT) institutional framework, She said FAO attached great provided a major problem. ensure its sustainability and improve importance to statistical informa- He said it was his hope that the advent of the data quality with possible revision of tion and to the capacity-building of CountrySTAT web based system would help in solv- existing tables. member nations in the establishment ing the problem once and for all. Ms Albina call on the need to and maintenance of CountrySTAT domains. Earlier, the Director General of the National focus on the three areas was also Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Ms Albina Chuwa whose echoed by the FAO Representative in She said Article 1 of its (FAO) institution plays a pivotal role in the CountrySTAT Tanzania, Dr Louise Lobisa Setsh- Constitution clearly stated that: “the web, explained that the system harmonizes and waelo who had earlier addressed the or- integrates data on food and agriculture coming from august assembly when she said: gani-CONTINUE S PAGE 3 3 NEWSLETTER April-May, 2010

HOW OTHERS REPORTED COUNTRYSTAT LAUNCH

He said policymakers, especially in the agriculture and food sector, had for many years been unable to come up with proper plans due to the lack of adequate statistics. “With the Web-based information system it will be easier for policymakers to integrate evidence based policies that would help in economic development of our country,” the minister said. Speaking during the launch, NBS Project Director, Mr Said Aboud said the bureau would conduct countrywide training that would enable NBS staff to access and col- lect valid information during the collection of statistics.

TANZANIA LAUNCHES

STAT AGRO-DATA SYSTEM FROM PAGE 2 zation shall collect, analyze, interpret and disseminate infor- mation relating to nutrition, food and agriculture”. She said it was on this ground that the FAO President (right) points to a kingsized cassava was strongly committed to the development and during the Kilimo Kwanza Agricultural show in Dodoma Centre implementation of integrated systems of data and

Country Tanzania. metadata on food and agriculture. She concluded her speech by paying glowing tribute to the Tanzanian government, and particularly, February, Thursday 25, 2010 the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, for its emphasis and commitment to food and agricultural statistics, and the hard By The Citizen Reporter work and dedication of the Department towards making CountrySTAT-Tanzania a public system. one-stop online resource for national statistics on agriculture Earlier Mr Achayo thanked FAO both for their was launched in Dar es Salaam yesterday. initiative and designing the CountrySTAT web system. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) partnered with He said the international organization’s the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) to establish tireless effort and support in making sure that Athe website. CountrySTAT worked in Tanzania was highly Through the initiative, it will now be easy for researchers and appreciated. other information seekers to access vital data, especially on agricul- He also personally thanked Dr Setshwaelo ture and food, on the website: www.countrySTAT.org for her moral support and cooperation from the The Web-based information would provide improved access to start of the project until now. better quality statistics on food and agriculture at the national and Apart from the over 100 invited guests who sub-national levels. attended the colorful ceremony, the occasion was also graced by two highly placed officials Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives Minister, Stephen from FAO headquarters in Rome, Ms Giulia Wassira said in a speech read on his behalf by the ministry’s Director de Robert who is also the Chief of Communica- for Policy and Planning, Mr Emmanuel Acheyo, that the establishment tion Consultants in the 17 plus African countries of the database would help policymakers to come up with appropriate each of which hosts a CountrySTAT, and Ms strategies. Stefania Bacci. 4 April-May, 2010 NEWSLETTER DAR COUNTRYSTAT WEB: LAUNCH SHORT-CHANGED?

By Attilio Tagalile headquarters in Rome, Ms Giulia de Robert who is also WHO in the country’s the Chief of Communication When Tanzania officially agricultural sector, Tanzania’s Consultants in the 17 plus signed the Comprehensive present and future plans in the African countries each of African Agriculture Develop- sector. which hosts a CountrySTAT ment Programme (CAADP) on The presence of Mr Pinda at web system, and Ms 8th last month (July, 2010), the roundtable meeting apart Stefania Bacci. the colourful function held in from raising its profile was The two senior FAO officials Dar es Salaam witnessed top very telling given his passion had flown all the way from flight attendance by the for agricultgure especially ] Italy to come and attend country’s leadership led by when it comes to the use of such an important historic President Jakaya Kikwete. new agricultural equipment occasion only to witness Flashing back to the array of such as power tillers. what could in all intents and leaders who graced the The prime minister pledged purposes be described as a historic function, one notes the government’s commitment low key official launch of a that apart from representing to meet the CAADP’s web based system that is what could rightly be minimum requirement of set to make a difference described as the WHO IS raising Tanzania’s agricultural between success and WHO in the country’s budget by ten percent of the failure. leadership. national budget. The importance of the It was arguably one of the Yet the high profile leadership foregoing assertion is noted best attended functions since attendance witnessed during by Mr Wassira himself when Kikwete’s fourth phase the CAADP preliminary he says in his speech read administration was voted into meeting and its subsequent on his behalf by Mr Achayo: power five years ago. signing ceremony was “Policymakers, especially in For keen observers of the surprisingly absent five the agriculture and food country’s political goings on, months earlier, on February sector, had for many years it was not difficult to under- 24th this year (2010), during countries. been unable to come up stand why such a function the launch of an equally In fact, this fact was with proper plans due to the T had been accorded the kind disclosed by none other lack of adequate statistics.

important agricultural related A of attendance it received. event, CountrySTAT! than the FAO Representa- With the Web-based Basically, there were two The importance of the tive in Tanzania, Dr Louise information system, it will be T main reasons behind the high CountrySTAT to Tanzania’s Setshwaelo, when she easier for policymakers to profile attendance at the socio-economic development lauded Tanzania, during integrate evidence based S

function. lies in the fact that this is a her speech on the policies that would help in y One, it was the nature of the web based system for food occasion, for becoming economic development of

function. And secondly, it lies and agriculture statistics at the first in network of 17 our country". tr on the importance that the national and sub-national African countries to launch The minister’s own admis- Tanzania, for very under- levels. the database. sion that the absence of the standable reasons, presently The objective behind the Of course, there are those web based system in the attaches on agriculture. establishment of the web who may say what has the past had had a negative

Again, this is clearly based system is to improve guest of honour got to do impact on officials’ work in oun illustrated by the on-going the accessibility, relevance with the importance or the lead agriculture

implementation of its and reliability of a country’s otherwise of a given ministries should have C cornerstone policy of Kilimo national statistics on food and function. catapulted such ministries Kwanza, agriculture first. agriculture. The point is, it has a lot, into bringing a high profile Indeed, the promulgation of It was the importance of the especially on this particu- guest of honour to officiate the Kilimo Kwanza policy CountrySTAT to the country’s lar question relating to the at such an important would have been meaning- agricultural development that launch of the CountrySTAT function. less if the country’s top the Minister for Agriculture, for a country that locally Surely, if the minister for leadership had relegated Food Security and Coopera- and internationally agriculture, food security such an important agricultural tives, Mr Steven Wassira had professes agriculture to be and cooperatives was related function to low profile been scheduled to officially one of its very important indisposed or had travelled leadership. launch the web system. planks. abroad which is very likely to Another pointer on the However, as it later came to Besides, the importance of have been the case, then importance with which the pass, the plan was never to according such a function ministers from other lead country’s top leadership be. And instead, the all- a high profile guest of agriculture ministries such viewed the CAADP, and by important function was honour fits very well with a as Water and Irrigation, extension agriculture, is eventually somewhat Kiswahili (Tanzania (Professor Mark Mwando- provided by none other than downgraded when the high national language) saying sya) Livestock and Fisheries the Prime Minister, Mr profile job was handed over to that states that siku njema (Dr ) and who chaired a the Director of Policy and huonekana asubuhi (a Natural Resources and roundtable meeting of Planning in the Ministry of good day starts in the Tourism (Ms Shamsha stakeholders on the eve of Agriculture, Food Security and morning). Mwangunga) should have the signing ceremony during Coopperatives, Mr Emmanuel It is important to bear in been asked to step in and which he responded to Achayo who went on to read mind that the launch of the save the day. numerous questions related his minister’s speech. CountrySTAT web based One hopes that what to the country’s agricultural For one to appreciate why the system (designed for transpired during the launch development. official launch of the Tanzania Tanzania by the FAO just of the web based system It would be recalled that it CountrySTAT web system as the United Nations ould not ‘infect’ both the was during the roundtable should have been accorded organization had done to letter and spirit behind the meeting, that Mr Pinda took the importance it deserved, it other 16 Sub-Saharan establishment, in the first the opportunity to explain to is important to bear in mind countries) was also place, of the CountrySTAT. the high profile participants, that this was the first launch attended by two highly who included the WHO IS out of the 17 Sub-Saharan placed officials from FAO