Jakarta –Indonesia is ready to export hand tractors to Tanzania in pursuance of an agreement made by Indonesian Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono and his Tanzanian counterpart, Stephen Wasira recently, an Indonesian agriculture ministry official said.

Budi Gunadi, the ministry’s spokeksman, said recently, Anton Apariyantono and Stephen Wasira signed the agreement on the agricultural tool export when Apriyantono visited Tanzania on April 23-25, 2007.

He said Indonesian hand tractors had good market prospects in Tanzania.
“Indonesian agricultural tool producers have held a meeting with their

Tanzian partners in Tanzania to follow up on the agreement,” Gunadi added.
Indonesia also agreed to send farmers and agricultural experts to Tanzania to provide agricultural training for Tanzanian farmers, according to Gunadi.

In 2006, Indonesian farmers provided assistance to Tanzanian farmers by opening education and training centers on agriculture in that country.

The Indonesian assistance was provided in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Gunadi said that in 2008, the agriculture ministry would send a special team to Tanzania to formulate cooperation in optimizing the role of the education and training centers.

Before he left for Tanzania not long ago, Minister Anton Apriyantono said that the Indonesian government was resolved to increase its trade in farm produce with African countries as potential markets for Indonesian commodities.

He said Indonesia had been relying on the European and United States markets for its farm produce so far.

“Actually the Middle East is also a potential market for Indonesian products,” the minister said before leaving for a tour of Sudan, Tanzania and Egypt until late April.

He said his visits to the three African countries were expected to open markets for Indonesian products in the African region.
Indonesia is now prioritizing development of economic, social, cultural and political relations with 25 countries in Africa. *ant