Vox Populi: Deputy Minister Hon. David Silinde, Norwegian Ambassador Tone Tinnes, and SAGCOT CEO Geoffrey Kirenga at the Tanzania-Norway Agriculture-Climate Nexus Workshop

February 4, 2025

 On February 4, 2025, a landmark event in Tanzania’s agricultural development unfolded as the Royal Norwegian Embassy (RNE), in conjunction with the Agriculture Transformation Office (ATO) and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), signed a pivotal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This collaboration underscores a robust commitment from Norway to support the expansion and enhancement of Tanzania’s agricultural framework, mainly by advancing the successful Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) model into three new Agricultural Growth Corridors: Mtwara, Central, and Northern.

Hon. David Silinde (MP), Deputy Minister

The main objective of this agreement is to promote sustainable and modern agriculture, also known as Smart Agriculture, which is designed to address environmental challenges while increasing productivity. One of the key goals of this agreement is to empower smallholder farmers, helping them overcome challenges such as:

• Enhancing productivity to improve crop yields.
• Facilitating better market access for their produce.
• Increasing their economic well-being, ultimately reducing poverty among small-scale farmers in the country.

Furthermore, this agreement aims to strengthen market systems for smallholder farmers, ensuring they have stable and well-performing markets for their produce. This will be a key focus throughout the implementation period of this agreement, which will span three years.

We sincerely thank the Government of Norway for committing USD 1,348,000 to support this initiative, which will be implemented between 2025 and 2027.

Notably, the agreement includes a provision for the Tanzanian Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and key departments such as the Directorate of Crops, to closely monitor and oversee the project’s progress step by step. This is an excellent opportunity for the government to collaborate closely with key stakeholders.

National Coverage: Implementation Across All Agricultural Corridors

This project covers all agricultural corridors in Tanzania, ensuring widespread impact. When we refer to these corridors, we mean:

• Northern Corridor – covering regions in the Northern Highlands.
• Central Corridor – covering regions in Central Tanzania.
• Mtwara Corridor – covering the Southern regions.
• SAGCOT Corridor – covering the Southern Highlands and central areas.

The agreement also includes identifying key strategic areas within each corridor. For example:

• In the Central Corridor, where sunflower is dominant, interventions will focus on sunflower production.
• The agreement will support horticultural production in the Northern Corridor, where horticulture is widely practised.

These are the primary objectives outlined in this agreement.

Additionally, we will try to engage youth from the Building a Better Tomorrow (BBT) initiative. We have highlighted the importance of youth involvement in this agreement, ensuring they benefit from this project signed today.

H.E. Tone Tinnes, Norwegian Ambassador – Speech

Good afternoon, I’m Tone Tinnes, the Norwegian Ambassador to Tanzania. I’m delighted to be in Dodoma today for this workshop on agriculture and climate-related issues. This day is particularly special because we also celebrate a new agreement signed with SAGCOT (Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania). This is a new three-year agreement, and we are honored to have the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Hon. David Silinde, with us today to witness this important occasion.

The agreement we signed today focuses on collaborating with AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) to support the Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Transformation Office (ATO) in advancing agricultural development in Tanzania.

As the Norwegian Mission, we have supported Tanzania’s agricultural sector for over 50 years. We recognize that agriculture is a crucial sector for Tanzania—it plays a vital role in ensuring food security and is increasingly becoming a major driver of job creation.

We are pleased to see increased investment in Tanzania’s agricultural sector from local and foreign investors. Over the years, we have witnessed increased farm production and exports to European markets such as Norway. This is precisely the kind of progress we hope to see more.

Our commitment is to support the growth of Tanzania’s agricultural sector so that it can generate significant economic and social benefits. That is why we are here today, and we will continue working alongside our partners to support agricultural development in Tanzania.

Geoffrey Kirenga, CEO – SAGCOT (Agricultural Growth Corridors of Tanzania) – Speech

My name is Geoffrey Kirenga, and I am the Chief Executive Officer of the Agricultural Growth Corridors of Tanzania (AGCOT), formerly SAGCOT. Our initiative is now expanding to new agricultural corridors, including the Mtwara Corridor, the Central Corridor (extending to the Lake Zone regions), and the Northern Corridor, which covers Tanga, Arusha, Manyara, and Kilimanjaro regions.

Our work focuses on agricultural transformation and development, with a key mission to strengthen collaboration between the private sector and the public sector, particularly with the Ministry of Agriculture and its affiliated institutions responsible for agricultural development.

Three Key Investment Priorities

In the private sector, we ensure that all agricultural investments meet three main criteria:

1️⃣ Food Security and Nutrition – Investments should enhance Tanzania’s capacity for food self-sufficiency while improving nutrition and public health.

2️⃣ Inclusive Growth for Smallholder Farmers – The goal is to transition farmers from subsistence farming to agribusiness, ensuring they actively participate in commercial agriculture. This is why we emphasize the slogan: “Agriculture is Business.”

3️⃣ Environmental Sustainability – If not managed carefully, agricultural production can lead to land degradation, soil depletion, and environmental pollution from excessive or improper use of inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. We work to ensure sustainable farming practices that protect both farmers and consumers.

Tanzania’s Collaboration with Norway

Tanzania works with multiple development partners, including Norway, which has supported agricultural development for over 50 years.

In early 2023, H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan visited Norway, where she engaged in high-level discussions on areas of cooperation between Norway and Tanzania. These discussions resulted in agreements focusing on increasing agricultural productivity, investment in agribusiness, and strengthening agricultural research and technology.

Strategic Agricultural Development Across Tanzania’s Corridors

AGCOT collaborates closely with government agencies, private investors, and research institutions to drive agricultural transformation.

We have already seen major agricultural advancements in the SAGCOT region, spanning Pwani, Morogoro, Iringa, Njombe, Mbeya, Songwe, Rukwa, and Katavi. Some of the most successful value chains developed in this corridor include:
✅ Irish potatoes – One hectare can now yield significantly higher outputs.
✅ Avocados, soybeans, tea, and rice – These crops are among the 12 key value chains that have significantly improved.
✅ Horticultural crops (fruits and vegetables) – Avocado exports have increased dramatically.
✅ Livestock (Poultry farming) – Significant progress has been made in hybrid and commercial poultry farming, reducing reliance on imported chicks.

Major Achievements in Poultry and Dairy Farming

🚜 Poultry Farming – Previously, Tanzania imported chicks from Zambia, with many farmers in Dar es Salaam collecting them from Tazara. Today, we are fully self-sufficient in poultry production, particularly for hybrid and commercial chickens.

🥛 Dairy Sector Expansion – About 90% of Tanzania’s milk is not processed, and the country has historically imported large quantities of powdered milk. However, a new milk powder processing plant in Iringa is a game-changer. Using cattle from the Southern Highlands, this facility has reduced dependence on imported milk powder and is now producing Tanzanian-branded dairy products.

Scaling Agricultural Investments to Other Corridors

Our next step is to expand these successful agricultural models to other corridors, particularly the Central Corridor, which extends to the Great Lakes Region. This region includes:
📍 Tabora, Kigoma, Mwanza, Shinyanga, and Kagera – These areas experience consistent rainfall. They are situated near major water sources, such as Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria, which can be used for irrigation-based agriculture.

Future Focus: Irrigation and Market Development

🚰 Irrigation Investments – The Ministry of Agriculture is currently developing several large-scale irrigation projects to support smallholder farmers and enhance productivity. However, successful implementation requires:
🔹 Farmer Training – Farmers must receive education on efficient agricultural practices.
🔹 Market Linkages – Farmers need secure and profitable markets for their produce.

To address market challenges, Tanzania is strengthening its private sector by encouraging investment in agribusiness. This is a collaborative effort between farmers, private investors, and policymakers to develop competitive agricultural markets.

Commitment to Environmental Sustainability

🌿 Sustainable Agriculture and Land Management – Protecting the environment is critical for long-term agricultural success. We work with stakeholders at district, regional, and national levels to promote responsible farming practices.

📜 Compact Agreements – Stakeholders sign compacts (agreements) that define regional agricultural priorities and value chain commitments. There are two types of compacts:
1️⃣ Regional Compacts – Agreements focused on specific geographical areas.
2️⃣ Value Chain Compacts – Agreements dedicated to specific agricultural commodities.

Upcoming Agricultural Transformations

Tanzania is committed to expanding agricultural production, improving processing capacity, and increasing exports. To achieve this, the Ministry of Agriculture has established:
📌 Agricultural Transformation Office (ATO) – Focused on value chain development and agricultural modernization.
📌 COPRA (Commodity Processing and Market Development Unit) – Focused on market development and trade facilitation.

These institutions will work closely with AGCOT and other stakeholders to ensure efficient agricultural transformation.

Call to Action: Collaboration with Farmers and Private Investors

As we expand into new agricultural corridors, we urge smallholder farmers, local leaders, and private investors to work together. We are entering a new era of agricultural development, and it is crucial that all stakeholders embrace opportunities for investment and growth.

Tanzania has vast agricultural land that remains underutilized. With strong policies, improved infrastructure, and electricity access in rural areas, it is now the time to revolutionize agriculture.

Final Message

✅ Achieving food self-sufficiency
✅ Boosting exports and reducing imports
✅ Creating jobs for youth
✅ Ensuring long-term environmental sustainability

Agriculture in Tanzania is no longer just a way of life—it is a business. Those who embrace innovation and best practices will reap the benefits of Tanzania’s agricultural transformation.

Together, let us build a prosperous agricultural sector for present and future generations. 🚜🌍🌱