President Samia Orders the Establishment of an Agricultural Development Fund

The President of Tanzania Hon. Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed the Ministry of Agriculture to work with the Ministry of Finance and Planning to establish an Agricultural Development Fund.

In addition, President Samia also instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and the Office of the President Personnel to review and reform the structure of the Irrigation Commission to ensure it has an Office in each District.

President Samia issued the directive on 4th April 2022 while launching the distribution of agricultural equipment including motorcycles, soil testing equipment, smartphones and technical boxes at a ceremony held at the Jakaya Kikwete conference hall in Dar es Salaam.

President Samia said the Fund would be responsible for financing agricultural inputs as was the case with cashew, cotton, and tobacco so that the fund could be used as a subsidy when inputs go up in price.

The Fund will be funded by special levies on agricultural products, the Central Government Fund and development partners.

President Samia has ordered all farms under the Treasury Registrar’s Office to be revived and used in partnership with the Private Sector for a long-term land lease system.

Similarly, President Samia has called on the Ministry of Agriculture to focus on food production and trade, including vegetable crops as well as strategic crops to meet domestic demand and export surplus.

Tanzania Agriculture Strategy

Tanzania’s agriculture is a leading contributor to the country’s GDP.

Boosting the country’s agriculture production and promoting livestock and fisheries has been one of the current administration’s priority areas.

In this regard, the government recently outlined its agricultural transformation agenda in its Ajenda 10/30 to attain a 10% annual growth rate for the sector by 2030.