soybean farmers in the Southern Region have shown keen interest in the anticipated investment by China’s Longping High-Tech. This investment is expected to enhance soybean production and quality across various regions in Tanzania.
During an ongoing tour by Longping’s executives to the soybean-producing areas in Tanzania, Mr. Shangyang Wu, the Director of Foreign Business and Finance at Longping, spoke to farmers in Wanging’ombe, Njombe Region. He stated that the company’s investment is driven by several factors including the rising demand for soybeans in China, exceeding their domestic production. This move also aligns with the agreements between the Tanzanian and Chinese governments, where China promised to assist Tanzania in boosting soy production and subsequently purchasing the crop from local farmers.
Mr. Wu expressed satisfaction with the commitment and efforts of both the farmers and the government towards improving the quality and quantity of soy production. He assured that Longping is well-prepared and willing to work closely with Tanzanian farmers and the government to improve farmers’ livelihoods through soybean cultivation. He acknowledged the existing challenges and pledged support to address them, thereby enhancing the farmers’ productivity.
The Regional Commissioner of Njombe, Hon. Waziri Kindamba, encouraged the farmers to seize this soy production opportunity with Longping, guaranteeing them a stable market in China. He assured the Longping executives of the regional government’s full support for this collaboration, aiming to fulfill the expected outcomes.
Hon. Kindamba urged the local community not to miss this opportunity, emphasizing the long-standing challenge of market scarcity now resolved by Longping. He reassured that the regional government is committed to leaving no citizen behind in achieving progress and encouraged everyone to work diligently to benefit from this soybean venture.
During separate meetings with the government and Longping executives, Wanging’ombe farmers expressed their satisfaction with the company’s investment strategy and thanked the government for continually ensuring that citizens have access to markets for their crops. They also showed readiness to collaborate with Longping in both production and marketing of soybeans.
In a related development, Longping executives, while in Iringa, met with the Regional Commissioner, Hon. Queen Sendiga, discussing ways to reach and benefit farmers with soy production opportunities. Hon. Sendiga assured the investors of cooperation in all investment stages in the region.
Longping High-Tech, a leading company in China, specializes in the production of yellow corn, soybeans, and sorghum. They have also invested $1 billion in Brazil. China requires about 155 million tons of soybeans annually.
During their tour, Longping executives visited various agricultural farms, spoke with farmer groups, and visited agricultural seed producers, including those for corn and soybeans. The tour covered Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Dodoma, Iringa, Njombe, Ruvuma, Mbeya, and Rukwa regions. Accompanying the Longping executives were officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, the Ministry of Agriculture, The Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (“SAGCOT”), and Mr. Joseph Kusaga, Director of Longping Tanzania.
