Tanzania, Qatar eye ventures in key sectors
DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA and Qatar are moving to seal strategic investment partnerships across livestock, fisheries and agriculture to boost local processing capacity, cut feed costs and expand red meat and crop exports into Middle Eastern markets.
The initiative follows highlevel bilateral talks in Dar es Salaam between the Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Ambassador Dr Bashiru Ally, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Daniel Chongolo and the Chairman of Qatar’s ThirtyFive Investment Holding, Dr Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah.
Dr Ally revealed that Tanzania is aggressively expanding its meat processing capacity to scale annual exports from 15,000 tonnes to 50,000 tonnes, positioning Qatar as a cornerstone market.
To meet stringent Middle Eastern food safety and quality standards, he invited Qatari capital into deep-sea tuna fishing, cold-chain logistics and processing infrastructure at the Kilwa Masoko Fishing Port and the proposed Bagamoyo port hub.
Latest trade metrics show Qatar remains Tanzania’s premier Middle Eastern meat buyer, importing over 3,300 tonnes of beef, goat and mutton valued at 13.6 million US dollars in early 2024 alone, alongside broader annual trade exceeding 21.7 million US dollars.
Pitching opportunities in agriculture, Minister Daniel Chongolo urged Qatari firms to invest in crop processing, grain silos, climate-resilient farming and efficient irrigation technologies. He noted that Tanzania is well-positioned to scale exports of high-value commodities including cashews, coffee, avocados, rice, tea and pulses through technological modernisation.
Dr Al Attiyah, a former Qatari Deputy Prime Minister whose investment firm focuses on food security, emphasised Qatar’s expanding market for agricultural and marine imports. He highlighted the urgency of building integrated supply chains linking crop production, animal feed and processing.
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Noting that poultry feed accounts for nearly 70 per cent of production costs, Dr Al Attiyah expressed interest in large-scale soybean and maize farming, sugar processing and commercial poultry, egg and animal feed production.
Both nations agreed to expedite the signing of formal Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to establish operational frameworks and transition identified opportunities into commercial ventures.
