Ladies and Gentlemen, now allow me to introduce Tanzania. According to UN FAO, 37.7% or about 33,428,000 ha of Tanzania is forested. (Tanzania total land mass is 88,580.580 sq km). Tanzania has 240,000 ha of planted forest. Tanzania forest contain 2,019 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected areas: Tanzania has some 1898 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these 9.0% are endemic meaning they exist in no other country, and 6.1% are threatened. Tanzania is also home to at least 10,008 species of vascular plants (bamboo inclusive) of which 11.2% are endemic (they exist in no other country). About 14.6% of Tanzania is protected under IUCN categories I – IV.

Tanzania is an agricultural country, since more than 80% of population depend on agriculture for livelihood. Export agricultural crops include tea,

Ladies and Gentlemen, I had to take you through this background and introductory information to make justification as to reasons why from the early days. Tanzania became a member and decided to chose INBAR as a leading partner organization on bamboo research. INBAR had a collaborative research work with Tanzania Forest Institute (TAFORI) on Production to Consumption System in 1999. TAFORI was then a focal point for INBAR in Tanzania. In the year 2002 MoU between INBAR and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT) was finalized aiming at a programme for Development and Diffusion of Technologies for small holder Bamboo and Rattan based producers. Late in 2002 INBAR has developed a bamboo housing project in South Western Tanzanian District of Rungwe in Mbeya Region. This project was competently implemented by the National Construction Council (NCC) of Tanzania. Briefly I can confidently record that Tanzania and TAFORI in particular has benefited from INBAR training programmes. Tanzania is endowed with abundant underutilized bamboo resources. Some communities in Tanzania have taken advantage of these programmes because bamboo has how become a popular wood substitute through technology applications to convert it to plywood, fiberboards, flooring tiles, curtains and many other wood related products. Indeed this has reduced pressures to our over exploited indigenous forest resources.

So briefly Ladies and Gentlemen, the message I wish to put across to the Zhejiang Agriculture and Forest University and to the newly launched Center for China – Agriculture and Forestry Research is that you are cordially Welcome to Tanzania. In Tanzania you will find experienced partners in the area of agriculture and forestry research. Some of our institutions of research and training in agriculture and forestry were established in the early 1930s and the first University of Agriculture and Forestry (Sokoine University of Agriculture was established in 1972).

In Tanzania, at present forest resources are managed and administered by a semi autonomous body corporate established by Act of Parliament, namely the Tanzania Forests Authority, while research continue to fall under TAFORI.

Welcome. Karibu
Xie Xie!