SAGCOT Partners to Create 420,000 Jobs and Lift Two Million Tanzanians Out of Poverty

Kilimokwanza.org Team

The Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT), initiated as a Public-Private Partnership during the World Economic Forum Africa Summit in Dar es Salaam in 2010, is ambitiously aiming to significantly boost soybean production.

By 2025, SAGCOT is targeting an output exceeding 50,000 tonnes of soybeans, a substantial increase from the current production range of 5,000 to 20,000 tonnes annually. This initiative is in response to the pressing need to alleviate crop shortages within the nation.

Looking ahead to 2030, SAGCOT partners are committed to transforming 350,000 hectares of land into profitable agricultural zones, elevating 100,000 small-scale farmers to commercial status, generating 420,000 new jobs, lifting two million Tanzanians out of poverty, and achieving an impressive annual farming revenue of 1.2 billion US dollars.

During the Nanenane International Exhibition, Mr. Abdallah Msambachi, the Programme Manager of the Tanzania Sustainable Soybean Initiative (TSSI), highlighted the domestic market’s soaring demand for soybeans, currently at 150,000 tonnes per year. To address this, TSSI, in collaboration with the Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute (TARI), is identifying high-potential seeds and disseminating advanced farming technologies.

TSSI, a novel program under SAGCOT, has joined forces with the Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA) under the World Food Programme, Accelerating Strategies for Practical Innovation and Research in Economic Strengthening (ASPIRES), and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). This collaboration aims to enhance the competitiveness of Tanzania’s soy industry by promoting industrial use and tapping into both domestic and international markets.

Mr. Msambachi emphasized the focus on ramping up productivity and production to combat climate change effects, address market and nutritional needs, and achieve a production goal of over fifty thousand tons across six regions: Songwe, Iringa, Mbeya, Njombe, Rukwa, Ruvuma, and Morogoro.

Moreover, Mr. Lusajo Bukuku, the FtMA Programme Officer for Market, encouraged the youth to seize the opportunity in soybean farming, offering comprehensive education from farm preparation, seed selection, to post-harvest processes. This endeavor aims to foster sustainable food systems, enhance market strengths, and empower farmers to increase their productivity, income, and resilience, thereby improving food security across Africa.