2023, Year of Agriculture in Tanzania& Africa?

The central role of agriculture for Tanzania’s socio-economic development is highly recognized now than it has in the past 3 decades. A statement affirmed by Hon. Hussein Bashe Minister of Agriculture during his meeting with editors recently. Boldly, he accented efforts done by the current regime to enhance impactful interventions to set new and restore meaningful investments done by the country’s first ruling regime under late Mwl. Julius Kambarage Nyerere. It is going without say that the sector has a far better clear perspective and sets a promising future.

From Davos Switzerland to Dakar’s Senegal 2023 kicked-off with Tanzania affirming its commitment to feed its people and Africa. To build a resilient nation with food security and improved livelihood of its people. Tanzania President H.E Samia Suluhu Hassan stressed the country’s commitment and existing efforts to transform the agriculture sector.

During the World Economic Forum (wef), the ‘Food Action Partnership: Investing in Greater Resilience’ session in Davos, President Samia highlighted about the ‘Building a Better Tomorrow program’ under the Ministry of Agriculture, a program targeting youth to actively take the leading role in food production. In Davos, President Samia met with International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) President Mr. Alvaro Lario. IFAD has allocated about 400m USD to implement its 2022-2027 Tanzania Country Strategic Opportunities Program (COSOP).?The COSOP’s objective is to transform Agri-food systems for higher productivity, better nutrition, and improved income and resilience for poor rural people.

In Dakar Senegal, the Africa continent dignitaries agreed to allocate 10% of public expenditure to funding agriculture. While Tanzania already increased the Ministry of Agriculture budget from TZS 294bn to TZS 954bn, and set projects that are embed climate change adaptation, Tanzania affirmed its committed to continue investing in the sector. The summit saw development partners commit 30bn USD to boost food production in Africa among which African Development Bank Group (AfDB) committed 10bn USD over five years for the same.

In both these key international summits, President Samia has flagged evidently Tanzania journey to invest in improving country’s food systems. These include setting forth system to engage the country’s largest population ‘youth’ in agricultural production, provision of subsidies in fertilizer for productivity, call for financial institutions to reduce interest rates, the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank 200bn capital injection in 2021, and setting better investor’s environment. While its evident that the potential of the 40million hacters of Tanzania arable land has yet been explored to the fullest. However, it’s worth noting and appreciating the efforts. With advancement of technologies, innovative approaches, private-public partnerships, multilateral collaboration, engagement of civil society organizations together can further set efficient and effective models, approaches, means and real-time results for improved food systems in Tanzania.?