Tanzania’s agricultural processing, value-adding plant nears completion

BARIADI: THE Tanzanian government is in the final stages of completing the installation of agricultural processing and value addition machinery, including a mini sugar production plant located in Busega District, Simiyu Region, which is expected to begin operations in March 2026.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Gerald Mweli, made the statement after visiting the machinery manufacturing workshop at the Tanzania Engineering and Manufacturing Design Organization (TEMDO), which designed and built the plant, noting that the initiative aims to boost production and increase income for smallholder farmers.

The visit aimed to explore how the Ministry could collaborate with TEMDO to empower women and youth under the Building a Better Tomorrow Program.

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Additionally, he noted that the Ministry and its affiliated institutions will continue partnering with TEMDO in utilizing various value-addition machines, including the mini sugar processing plant capable of producing 20 tonnes per day, in line with the government’s goal of increasing employment and income through agriculture.

For their part, TEMDO’s Director General, Prof. Frederick Kahimba, and the Director General of the Centre for Agricultural Mechanization and Rural Technology (CAMARTEC) said their institutions are ready to collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture and its agencies by producing any required machinery, providing technical advice, and offering maintenance services when needed.

Also, the Director General of the Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA), Irene Mlola, the Director General of the Cereals and Other Produce Board (CPB), Patrick M. Mongella, and the Director General of the Tanzania Coffee Board, Primus Kimaryo, pledged continued cooperation with TEMDO to advance agro-industrial technologies aimed at helping farmers increase productivity.