EU delegation heads to Kilimanjaro on farm mission
DAR ES SALAAM: A GROUP of 12 European Union (EU) and member state ambassadors will begin a three-day visit to Kilimanjaro Region tomorrow to assess EU-funded agricultural projects and meet smallholder farmers, the EU Delegation in Dar es Salaam said on Monday.
The mission aims to highlight the tangible impact of Team Europe-funded initiatives in agriculture and horticulture, while also listening directly to farmers’ experiences and challenges.
Led by EU Ambassador to Tanzania Christine Grau, the envoys will hold discussions with farmers, agri-business operators and local innovators in Moshi. Projects under review include coffee production and processing, organic pesticide manufacturing, forestry training and regional research initiatives.
“This visit provides an opportunity to see the real impact our initiatives are having on farmers, agri-business operators, institutions and local innovators,” Ms Grau said in a statement.
The visit comes as EU financial engagement in Tanzania’s agriculture and trade sectors expands. Under its 2021–2027 partnership with Tanzania, the EU has allocated about €585 million (about 1.7tri/-) in grant funding to support multiple sectors, including agri-food systems.
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Among the latest initiatives is the €10 million (about 29.1bn/-) STOSAR II project, launched earlier this month under the EU’s DeSIRA programme. It seeks to strengthen agricultural data systems, food safety, plant and animal health and market access across the Southern African Development Community (SADC), with a focus on women, youth and small enterprises.
Trade data also underscores Tanzania’s growing ties with the bloc. In 2024, EU member states exported goods worth about €182 million (about 530bn/-) to Tanzania, while imports of Tanzanian agri-food products reached approximately €511 million (about 15tri/-), an increase of more than 30 per cent compared with the previous year.
The delegation includes ambassadors Peter Huyghebaert (Belgium), Jesper Kammersgaard (Denmark), Theresa Zitting (Finland), Anne-Sophie Avé (France), Thomas Terstegen (Germany), Nicola Brennan (Ireland), Giuseppe Coppola (Italy), Marjo Crompvoets (Netherlands), Sergiusz Wolski (Poland), Paloma Serra Robles (Spain) and Charlotta Ozaki (Sweden).
The mission coincides with the 50th anniversary of EU–Tanzania diplomatic relations and 25 years of EU–African Union cooperation. It also continues the tradition of annual field visits by EU Heads of Mission across the country; last year’s delegation travelled to Morogoro.
Team Europe, a framework that combines resources from the EU and its member states, has prioritised agriculture and horticulture as key investment areas in Tanzania. Its support is aimed at fostering climate-resilient growth, strengthening livelihoods and promoting sustainable practices in export-oriented sectors such as coffee and horticulture.
