DODOMA: THE Agriculture Transformation Office (ATO) plans to implement at least 15 different projects to transform the agriculture sector across the country.
The flagship initiatives will be implemented by agriculture stakeholders under the major project titled ‘Driving Agricultural Transformation in Tanzania’.
ATO’s Director General (DG), Elizabeth Misokia, informed that the projects are based on concerted efforts to address critical bottlenecks across the agricultural value chain while ensuring equal access to opportunities for all members within society.
She disclosed that the projects aim to expand agricultural irrigation areas to 1.2 million hectares, quintuple seed production, improve soil health, scale up market linkages and enhance the capabilities of red meat and dairy farmers.
“Among the other robust projects, we are contemplating include those focused on the development of traditional cash crops and food crops through expert-led initiatives and improving agricultural business profitability,” she briefed.
Additionally, Misokia said other initiatives incorporate accelerating commercial activities for priority commodities, increasing processing and storage capacities and heightening regional and international exports to the tune of 6 billion US dollars.
“We’re also considering implementing other projects on digital registration for farmers and stakeholders, expanding the coverage of extension services across the country and providing access to financing for 1.7 million beneficiaries and 30,000 SMEs,” she expressed.
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Giving further details about the set projects, she said there will be execution of vital projects meant to unlock 1.5 million hectares for commercial agriculture and 1.2 million hectares for smallholder farmers.
Furthermore, a special project for enhancing overall food security in the country will be implemented.
“At the core of our mission is the Agriculture Master Plan, or AMP. This plan serves as a guiding roadmap that draws on previous sectoral experiences, laying out a vision for our food systems by 2050, with actionable plans leading up to 2030,” she observed.
Dwelling on the fact that Tanzania’s much-needed ambition is to reach upper middle-income status by 2050, aligned with Vision 2050, ATO is working to help increase the country’s gross national income per capita, targeting an annual economic growth rate of 8 percent for the next 25 years.
“This growth hinges on significant advancements in our food systems, particularly in agriculture, where we currently contribute 28 per cent to our GDP and employ 65 percent of the workforce,” she briefed.
To put it succinctly, according to her, achieving the set Vision 2050 involves increasing the country’s agricultural GDP from USD 18 billion to USD 100 billion, boosting productivity of key commodities by 300 per cent and significantly uplifting average smallholder incomes from 651 US dollars to over 1,450 US dollars.
The foundation of ATO was laid at the Summit of Heads of State and Government of 34 African Countries, held in Dakar in 2023, during which President Samia Suluhu Hassan, alongside her counterparts, emphasised the need for a cohesive approach to food security and agricultural development.
As a result, some of the country’s agricultural leaders agreed to establish the Presidential Food and Agriculture Delivery Council, responsible for overseeing the implementation of the agriculture delivery compact endorsed at the Dakar 2 Summit.
