Dar es Salaam – When the Private Agricultural Sector Support Trust (PASS) opened its doors in 2000, few could have imagined the scale of transformation it would spark. Established through a visionary partnership between the Government of Tanzania and the Government of Denmark, PASS has since become one of Africa’s most successful models for de-risking agriculture and turning smallholder farming into a bankable business.
Twenty-five years later, the numbers speak volumes: PASS has reached more than 4.7 million Tanzanians and facilitated lending worth over TZS 2.3 trillion (USD 900 million). Yet beyond the statistics lies a story of persistence, innovation, and belief in the power of farmers to transform an economy.
These insights were highlighted in an exclusive interview with Mwananchi Digital, titled “Powering Tanzania’s Agribusiness and Value Chains” (premiered September 15, 2025), in which PASS Managing Director Johanna Kaduma Johane reflected on the institution’s journey.
“Banking agriculture was once seen as impossible,” Johane told Mwananchi Digital. “But with the right support systems, we’ve shown that farmers are not only creditworthy, they are innovators and entrepreneurs. Agriculture is not charity—it’s good business.”
From Vision to Reality
When PASS was founded, Tanzanian agriculture was constrained by weak financing, fragmented markets, and subsistence-level yields. Banks viewed smallholder farmers as high-risk clients. Without collateral, most farmers were excluded from formal finance.
PASS introduced a groundbreaking credit guarantee scheme that shifted perceptions. By sharing risk with banks, it encouraged financial institutions to lend to farmers and agribusinesses previously locked out.
“We started by telling banks: ‘trust the farmer, and trust us to stand with you,’” recalls Johane. “That message was radical then, but it worked. Slowly, we created an ecosystem where finance flows to those who need it most.”