Tanzania’s Agriculture Sector Aims to Boost Growth with 5 Priorities and 26 Strategies

Dodoma,

The Ministry of Agriculture has announced its goal to ensure food security in Tanzania, promoting commercial farming, and strengthening the agriculture sector’s growth by 10% by 2030. The ministry’s plan and budget for the 2023/2024 fiscal year focus on building a sustainable agriculture sector that provides opportunities for young people and women to engage in agribusiness, creating decent job opportunities and ensuring steady income.

During a presentation of the ministry’s revenue and expenditure estimates, Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe announced five priority areas and 26 strategies to be implemented. The first priority is to increase productivity in crop production by investing in strategic areas such as research into better seed varieties, production, and distribution of seedlings, and providing extension services.

The second priority is to improve food security and nutrition by investing in strategic areas such as infrastructure for storage facilities, reaching a storage capacity of three million tonnes by 2030. The third priority is to improve access to markets, capital, and exports by investing in strategic areas such as building agricultural markets for farmers in local governments.

The fourth priority is to enhance value addition and storage while enabling the private sector to build market infrastructure and increase exports. The fifth priority is to improve the development of cooperative societies by improving their management and control, enabling them to operate as businesses, and providing access to capital.

The fifth priority area is to strengthen cooperative development by improving the management and control of cooperatives, enabling them to operate as businesses, assisting them in accessing capital, and reviewing and enhancing the systems for appointing cooperative leaders

The ministry’s plan and budget aim to build a sustainable agriculture sector that provides opportunities for young people and women to participate in agribusiness. The investment areas include irrigation infrastructure, storage infrastructure, establishing large joint farms, providing input access, research, and extension services.

26 strategies outlined by the Minister of Agriculture include:

1. Investing in strategic areas such as research on improved seeds, seed and seedling production, and extension services to increase productivity. The minister stated that investing in strategic areas such as research on improved seeds, seed and seedling production, and extension services is a top priority for the government in boosting agriculture productivity. The government aims to increase investment in research and development of improved seeds and seedlings, and to provide extension services to farmers to enhance their knowledge and skills in modern farming techniques. This will contribute to the production of high-quality crops, improved yields, and better incomes for farmers. The minister emphasized that this strategy will provide opportunities for young people and women to participate in agriculture as a profitable business venture, leading to job creation and poverty reduction.
2. Improving access to land for farming and establishing large-scale farming cooperatives to create job opportunities for young people and women.
3. Strengthening food security and nutrition by investing in strategic areas such as storage infrastructure to achieve a capacity of three million tons by 2030.
4. Improving access to markets, capital, and export opportunities for agricultural produce by establishing agricultural markets and trading hubs for farmers in different regions.
5. Enhancing value addition and preservation of agricultural produce by providing support for the private sector to build market infrastructure and increase sales of agricultural products.
6. Strengthening the management and oversight of cooperative societies and empowering them to run profitable business ventures.
7. Updating cooperative societies’ governance structures and improving access to financial resources.
8. Expanding the use of modern technologies such as precision agriculture, automation, and remote sensing to improve productivity and efficiency.
9. Establishing public-private partnerships to create innovative financing models for farmers, including crop insurance and financing schemes.
10. Developing climate-resilient farming practices and supporting farmers to adopt sustainable land use practices.
11. Strengthening the capacity of agricultural research institutions to innovate, develop, and disseminate new technologies and knowledge.
12. Encouraging the development of agricultural SMEs to promote agro-processing and value addition.
13. Promoting research and development of non-traditional crops to enhance food diversity and nutrition.
14. Enhancing agribusiness trade relations with neighboring countries and international partners.
15. Supporting the adoption of good agricultural practices, including organic farming.
16. Increasing investments in agribusiness infrastructure, such as irrigation systems and road networks to improve access to markets.
17. Promoting innovation in food processing, storage, and packaging technologies.
18. Supporting the establishment of commodity exchanges to enhance price transparency and competitiveness.
19. Investing in the development of agro-tourism to increase farmer income and promote local food culture.
20. Developing social protection programs for vulnerable groups in rural areas, including smallholder farmers and rural women.
21. Encouraging private sector investment in agriculture through innovative financing models.
22. Promoting the establishment of agricultural incubators to support the development of agricultural startups.
23. Investing in vocational training and capacity building for young people and women to increase their participation in agribusiness.
24. Increasing farmers’ availability and access to finance through establishing a credit guarantee scheme and other innovative financing models.
25. Developing agro-industrial parks to attract private sector investment in agribusiness.
26. Supporting agro-forestry development and sustainable forest management practices to improve soil quality and mitigate climate change.