On 15th May 2023, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) published a press release about a loan agreement with the Government of Tanzania for up to 10,000 million yen for the Tanzania Agricultural Inputs Support Project.
The agency explains that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused grain and fertilizer prices to skyrocket, hitting vulnerable populations hard.
In Tanzania, where the agricultural sector accounts for 61.5% of the working population and 26% of the GDP, these price hikes have led to a national food security crisis.
This project will contribute to the response to the food security crisis and establish a resilient agricultural system by providing high-quality agricultural inputs, such as seeds and fertilizer.
Since the 1960s, JICA has been supporting the cultivation of rice by assisting with its production, promoting irrigated agriculture, and realizing strong food value chains—through comprehensive aid that includes loans, grants, and technical cooperation—under the “Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD) Phase 2.”
The establishment of food security through this project is expected to have synergistic effects with these existing efforts and contribute to the achievement of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Goals 1 (No poverty), 2 (Zero hunger), and 5 (Gender equality).
