Tanzania’s Bold March Toward Agricultural Transformation – AGCOT CEO Charts the Path at Dodoma Summit

By News Desk

Dodoma, Tanzania – In a rousing keynote address at the Kilimo Roundtable Africa 2nd National Agricultural Stakeholders’ Forum, held at the Morena Hotel in Dodoma, Godfrey Kirenga, CEO of the Agricultural Growth Corridors of Tanzania (AGCOT), laid out a visionary roadmap that positions Tanzania at the forefront of Africa’s food sovereignty agenda. The conference, convened by Kilimo Roundtable Africa in collaboration with CRDB Bank, Uchumi Institute, Sanku, and Mchongo TV, attracted a diverse assembly of agricultural investors, policymakers, researchers, and farmer representatives.

Kirenga’s address served as both a retrospective and a forward-looking manifesto. He announced the official transition from SAGCOT (Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania) to a broader, nationwide AGCOT initiative—a move inspired by the Dakar 2 Summit’s resolution on African agricultural transformation. “SAGCOT is evolving,” he declared, “from a southern model to a national movement with corridors in Mtwara, the Central Zone, and the Northern CORRIDORS.”

Feeding Africa and the World

Kirenga emphasised that by 2050, Africa’s population will exceed 2 billion, necessitating a 50% increase in food production. Tanzania, he asserted, must not only aim for food self-sufficiency but also become a net exporter to the region and beyond. “When you feed Africa, you are feeding a significant part of the world,” he stated, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable intensification.

Climate-Smart and Soil-Health-First Agriculture

The AGCOT leader emphasised key strategies, including investing in soil health, precision irrigation, and climate-resilient farming. Notably, he called for a national soil health campaign—“Pima shamba lako, weka mbolea inayotakiwa”—to address the 54% degradation of arable land.

He championed irrigation efficiency, noting that agriculture consumes 70% of the world’s freshwater, much of which is housed in Africa’s great lakes, including Tanganyika, Victoria, and Malawi.

Smart Crops and Markets

Kirenga spotlighted high-value crops like apples and mangoes as untapped opportunities. “We import $75 million worth of apples annually. But Dodoma and Iringa are growing apples just as good as South Africa’s.” He encouraged investment in apple cider and juice processing, calling it a “smart agricultural investment with a ready market.”

He similarly uplifted mangoes, noting Tanzania is among the top 12 global producers, yet exports are negligible. With better post-harvest handling and pest control (e.g., fruit fly traps), Tanzania could tap into the $75 billion global mango trade.

Inclusion, Innovation, and Investment

Central to AGCOT’s strategy is empowering smallholder farmers. Kirenga reminded stakeholders that small-scale farmers produce 80% of Africa’s food. He shared the success story of Ben Umgaya, a farmer in Njombe who transitioned from extreme poverty to earning over TZS 70 million annually through avocado and potato farming.

Kirenga urged for enhanced partnerships between the public and private sectors, especially in infrastructure, predictable policies, access to finance, and research. “Let’s support youth-led agri-tech startups. Innovation will come from them,” he stressed.

The Call for National Agricultural Identity

He concluded with a call to action: “Mtanzania ni kile anachokula. Let us not only focus on exporting safe food, but also ensure nutritional safety for our citizens.” Kirenga applauded government efforts, such as TPHPA’s investment in food safety labs, but emphasised the role of consumers in demanding transparency.

As Tanzania enters the AGCOT era, Kirenga’s message is clear: the nation must cultivate not just crops, but also systems, policies, and mindsets to feed itself sustainably, Africa, and the world.

🟢 On National Agricultural Strategy

• “SAGCOT is not ending — it is expanding. We are moving from the Southern Corridor to the whole nation. Now we are AGCOT.”
• “We must not only feed Tanzania — we must feed Africa. And by feeding Africa, we are feeding the world.”

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🟢 On Future Demographics and Demand

• “By 2050, Africa will have over 2 billion people. That is not just a challenge — it is our opportunity.”
• “To feed that future, we must increase production by no less than 50%. But how? Only by farming smarter, not just harder.”

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🟢 On Soil Health and Sustainability

• “Pima shamba lako. Weka mbolea inayotakiwa. This is not just a slogan — it is a survival strategy.”
• “Over 54% of our soil is degraded. If we don’t heal the soil, we will have nothing left to grow from.”

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🟢 On Climate Change and Irrigation

• “Agriculture consumes 70% of the world’s freshwater. We must be responsible custodians of this precious resource.”
• “The great lakes of Africa are not just bodies of water — they are vaults of opportunity. Let’s unlock them wisely.”

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🟢 On Food Imports vs. Local Production

• “We are spending $75 million importing apples — while organic apples grow in Iringa and Dodoma.”
• “You love Savannah cider? It’s just apples. Why not make it here, with our apples, for our market?”
• “Africa imports $75 billion worth of food. That’s not a trade strategy — that’s a failure to farm our own potential.”

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🟢 On Smallholder Farmers

• “80% of Africa’s food comes from small farmers. If we forget them, we have already failed.”
• “Transformation begins with the smallest farmer. Empower them, and you empower the nation.”

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🟢 On Crop Potential and Missed Markets

• “Tanzania produces over 750,000 tonnes of mangoes — yet we export almost none. That’s a goldmine left unmined.”
• “Smart agriculture means smart investment. One hectare of apples can yield double the income of a hectare of avocado.”
• “We are importing beer made from apples while ignoring our own apple farmers. That’s not smart. That’s absurd.”

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🟢 On Innovation and Youth

• “More than 65% of our population is youth. Listen to them. Fund their ideas. They are not the future — they are the now.”
• “Fintech changed global finance. AgriTech can transform global food. Tanzania must lead that leap.”

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🟢 On Partnerships and Public Policy

• “Private investment needs public support: Infrastructure, predictable policies, and access to markets. That’s the investment equation.”
• “We succeeded in the Southern Corridor because the public and private sectors built trust. Now we replicate that nationwide.”

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🟢 On Food Safety and Nutrition

• “Mtanzania ni kile anachokula. If the food is unsafe, the people are unsafe.”
• “Let’s stop guessing with our nutrition. We must eat food that is both nourishing and clean.”

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🟢 On National Agricultural Identity

• “We don’t just export safe food — we must eat safe food too. Our children’s health depends on it.”
• “Don’t just choose the supermarket apple. Ask — who grew it? How was it treated? Is it safe? Is it ours?”

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🟢 On the Power of Local Success

• “Ben Umgaya started under TASAF and now earns over TZS 70 million a year. This is not theory — this is transformation.”

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🟢 Final Rallying Call

• “Smart agriculture is not a luxury. It is our survival.”
• “We have the land. We have the youth. We have the crops. What we need now is boldness.”
• “Let’s stop waiting. Tanzania, it is time to farm the future.”