MOROGORO · NANE NANE EASTERN ZONE

Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Lameck Nchemba toured the Nane Nane 88 Eastern Zone grounds in Morogoro, walking through exhibits from Morogoro, Dar es Salaam, Pwani and Tanga before addressing farmers, livestock keepers, fishers and exhibitors in closing remarks that tied the week’s showcase directly to Tanzania’s Vision 2050, formally launched on 1 July 2026. Before the Prime Minister spoke, Prof. Riziki Shemdoe, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office for Regional Administration and Local Government (TAMISEMI), gave introductory remarks welcoming him as the minister the Prime Minister had assigned oversight responsibility for Morogoro region — one of the four regions making up the Eastern Zone at this year’s show. He was also accompanied on the tour by regional and district leadership, including Morogoro’s Regional Commissioner and the Mayor of Dar es Salaam.

The Prime Minister opened by relaying greetings and congratulations from President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan to farmers, livestock keepers and fishers nationwide, thanking them for what he described as the productive response — alongside significant government investment — behind Tanzania’s current food self-sufficiency, which he and the President’s message put at more than 120 percent of national requirement. He linked this directly to the show’s 2026 slogan, “Tambua Soko, Ongeza Tija, Kutekeleza Dira 2050” (“Recognise the Market, Increase Productivity, to Implement Vision 2050”), telling the audience he saw clear signs the country was on track to meet its 2050 targets. As one marker of international recognition, he recalled hearing Tanzanian rice — citing varieties from Mbeya and Kyela — discussed favourably during presidential engagements abroad, including a recent visit to Ghana and an earlier stop in Belgrade, Serbia.

Innovation on display: owls, drones and biogas

Several exhibits drew direct comment from the Prime Minister as evidence of a shift already under way in Tanzanian farming practice. He described visiting a stand demonstrating owls as a natural rodent-control method — noting the species’ generally negative cultural reputation in Tanzania, and relaying the presenters’ case that owl populations help suppress rodent numbers that would otherwise draw dangerous snakes closer to farms and homes.

He highlighted a drone-based irrigation demonstration, citing a claim from the exhibit that the equipment could irrigate roughly seven hectares in twenty minutes — a contrast, he said, with the physically demanding backpack-sprayer irrigation methods farmers have traditionally relied on. He used the moment to press a broader argument: that young Tanzanians should not regard farming as work suited only to an older generation, since modern tools like drones and mechanised irrigation require the kind of technical comfort younger farmers are well placed to bring to the sector.

On livestock, the Prime Minister recounted meeting a young, university-educated livestock entrepreneur who described buying young cattle for a few million shillings each and selling matured animals for TZS 20–30 million, with a herd he estimated at around 200 head — a figure the Prime Minister used to make a point directly to public servants in the audience about building genuine wealth through production rather than waiting for a pension payout at retirement. He also cited a dairy cow observed at the show producing roughly 30 litres of milk per day, contrasting it with what he described as a once-common historical pattern of large traditional herds — citing an example of 300 cattle collectively producing under five litres during a dry season — as an illustration of the productivity gains available through improved breeds and modern husbandry.

On energy, he referenced a biogas cooking-fuel demonstration, citing a cost comparison offered by the exhibitor: roughly TZS 6,000 per gas cylinder against an estimated TZS 30,000 in diesel or petrol costs for equivalent energy use, framing this as a concrete household saving alongside the sector’s broader push toward cleaner energy.

Livestock’s rising share of the economy, and a research dividend

The Prime Minister cited a shift in the livestock sector’s contribution to Tanzania’s GDP, from 2.3 percent previously to a current 6 percent, attributing the change to improved breeds, veterinary services, and modernised production methods. He linked this to a broader argument about the value of agricultural research, noting he had recently been briefed, during a visit to Dodoma, on how value-addition and post-harvest technology had helped reduce grape losses in the region’s viticulture sector — and cited apple cultivation now under way in Dodoma, plus a livestock referral hospital visited during the Morogoro tour, as further evidence of research translating into practical results. He argued research funding had become a genuine government priority rather than a token budget line, framing continued investment in research as essential to further productivity gains across crops, livestock and fisheries.

A pointed message on farmer–herder relations

Speaking from his own experience as a former Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, the Prime Minister recalled visiting Morogoro at a time when land-use conflict between farmers and livestock keepers in the region was severe enough, he said, that it was difficult to find a warm reception in some areas. He described telling residents then that continued conflict threatened to fracture community bonds, and used his remarks in Morogoro to argue that farmers should not regard livestock keepers as adversaries, nor livestock keepers regard farmers or investors as adversaries — urging a shift toward mechanisation and more intensive, efficient use of smaller landholdings as a way to reduce competition over land and grazing corridors, which he noted has intensified in recent years amid population growth and climate pressures on water and pasture availability.

Infrastructure and policy commitments

The Prime Minister committed the government to continued investment in roads, citing Morogoro’s importance as what he called the nation’s granary, and pointed to Tanzania’s modern railway (the Standard Gauge Railway) as an existing example of infrastructure improvement, alongside plans for an expressway further connecting Morogoro to other parts of the country. He said government would continue expanding access to gas infrastructure to support wider adoption of cleaner cooking and production energy, and pointed to procurement policy — citing a requirement that 70 percent of certain development funds be directed toward development funds and designated special groups — as part of a broader effort to keep production costs down for farmers, livestock keepers and fishers. He also referenced continued government support for strategic crops named during the tour, including cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and coconut-derived products from various regions, alongside a previously unfamiliar crop he said drew curiosity from the visiting delegation during the walk-through.

What this means going forward

The Prime Minister closed by congratulating organisers and exhibitors for the quality of this year’s Eastern Zone show and encouraging continued innovation, uptake of research findings, and use of available technology and market opportunities through to the close of the show’s remaining schedule. His remarks combined a broadly celebratory account of national progress — food self-sufficiency above 120 percent, a growing livestock GDP share, and visible technology adoption among younger farmers — with specific, actionable commitments: continued infrastructure investment, expanded gas access, sustained research funding, and an explicit appeal for farmers, livestock keepers and investors to see one another as partners rather than competitors for land. As with any leader’s own account of national progress, the figures and framing offered are the Prime Minister’s characterisation of the sector’s trajectory rather than independently verified statistics, and readers seeking the underlying data — food self-sufficiency methodology, sector GDP breakdowns — may wish to consult the relevant ministries’ published statistics directly.