AGRA and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a new partnership

Dar es Salaam Tanzania, MARCH 11, 2016 – The Alliance for a Green
Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has launched a new initiative, the
Inclusive Green Growth of the Smallholder Agriculture (IGGSAS)
Programme in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania
(SAGCOT). The initiative, which is supported by the Norwegian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, has an overall goal of increasing incomes and food
security of at least 30,000 farming households in the Mbeya region of
Tanzania by 2020.

This programme will focus on strengthening at least 6 crop value
chains to operate more efficiently while increasing access to inputs
and knowledge of agronomic practices among smallholder farmers. The
programme also aims to improve access to markets and improve the
policy environment and advocate for climate-smart agriculture.

In July 2015, The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs awarded a
grant of NOK 9,000,000 (US$ 1.2M) to AGRA. This was to fund a one-year
inception phase of the IGGSAS Programme in the SAGCOT with YARA
International as a key partner. During this period, AGRA has put in
place the systems and structures (human capital and resources) and
piloted a public-private partnership (PPP) model as anticipated in the
grant. AGRA has also conducted the necessary environmental and
ecological assessments, and developed a results tracking and impact
measurement system. Following this success, the event today marked the
launch of a second four year implementation and up scaling phase
starting July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2020.

Speaking during the launch, which also marked the start of AGRA’s new
5-year Tanzania business plan, AGRA’s president Dr Anges Kalibata
pointed out that this partnership was a great opportunity for AGRA
scale up it’s work in Tanzania, a country that has tremendous
potential as a bread basket. “For the last nine years, AGRA has worked
extensively in Tanzania. We have cultivated a broad alliance of public
and private sector partners who are all working to unlock the
potential of Tanzania’s smallholder farmers and help them move beyond
subsistence to earn an income from their hard work,” said Dr Kalibata.

Over the past nine years, AGRA has given 95 grants from different
donors worth $49M cumulatively in Tanzania.

“The Norwegian Government is pleased to support this innovative
public-private-partnership. Broad and inclusive growth in Tanzania
must include the agricultural sector, and AGRA’s pro-poor and climate
smart approach and focus on linking small scale farmer to off-takers
and markets is key for inclusive and sustainable development,” said
Ms. Tone Skogen, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway.

Hon Mwigulu Nchemba, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
(MALF) was represented by Dr Frolence Turuka (PS-Agriculture).

He said:

“AGRA has made Tanzania a priority country for the last 9 years. As a
country we are grateful for that. AGRA has supported improved crop
varieties, seed companies among many others. We are proud of AGRA’s
achievements in supporting agriculture. We thank the government of
Norway for supporting the new project.  We will play our part as the
government to make it a success.”

Present during the Launch also was, Ms. Tone Skogen, Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Norway,representatives from the Mbeya Regional
leadership and administration, including  Regional Commissioner Hon
Abbas Kandoro representatives of AGRA’s key strategic partners: YARA,
Development Partners Working Group on Agriculture, SAGCOT Center, and
the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

About AGRA.

AGRA is an African-led alliance focused on putting farmers at the
center of our continent’s growing economy. AGRA advances uniquely
African solutions to sustainably raise farmers’ productivity and
connect them to a growing marketplace. Together with its
partners—including researchers, donors, African governments, the
private sector, and civil society—AGRA seeks to create an environment
where Africa feeds itself. AGRA works across 18 countries in
sub-Saharan Africa, and maintains a head office in Nairobi, Kenya and
country offices in Ghana, Mali, Mozambique and Tanzania. Learn more at
www.agra.org. For further information, please contact David Maingi on
Dmaingi@agra.org