President Jakaya Kikwete encourages Agriculture Investment in Tanzania

Tanzanian Agricultural Sector has long been an infant with little commercial ventures found outside of export crop such as coffee and tobacco, but this is to be a thing of the past as Tanzania Government aims to turn 350,000 hectares of land into crop producing, profitable soil.

The crop-producing capacity will be increased to meet the demands of both domestic consumption and export surplus.

Tanzania has a staggering 44 million hectares of arable land with a very accommodating climate able to produce a variety of crop, yet only 6 million of this arable land is currently being utilized.

President Jakaya Kikwete at the launch of Alliance of Businessman and Industrialist of Tanzania and Turkey (ABITAT) said that the government designed the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) as a priority to transform Tanzania agriculture productivity.

“This corridor is well endowed with land, good weather and water…we want to increase the production of rice, maize, sugar, fruits, vegetables, pulses, cut-flowers and livestock keeping. Turkish investors can work with their Tanzania counterparts to invest in agriculture” said President Kikwete.

He encouraged Turkish investors to explore opportunities in the agribusiness and exploit it for the mutual benefit of Tanzania and Turkey.

Tanzania Agricultural Sector has been the main GDP earner for the country but remained one of a least explored industry for investment, as the sector reveals its full capacity with incentive to produce for the market the investment interest in agribusiness is expected to increase.

The Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) was initiated at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Africa Summit 2010 with the vision to rapidly develop the region’s agricultural capacity and potential.