Investment sought in agribusiness

The director of Policy and Planning at Tanzania’s ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mrs Nkuvililwa Simkanga, makes a point during the launch of Micro-Reforms for African Agribusiness project in Dar es Salaam yesterday. PHOTO|THE CITIZEN CORRESPONENT 

By Ludger Kasumuni ,The Citizen Reporter

In Summary

Agra’s director of policy and advocacy, Dr Steven Omamo, said at the launch in Dar es Salaam yesterday that it was vital to create environments to encourage increased investment by the private sector into smallholder value chains.

Dar es Salaam. The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra) yesterday launched an initiative that seeks to increase the flow of private sector investment into Tanzania’s agribusiness.

The move will give Tanzania’s smallholder farmers access to inputs and markets to contribute to the country’s food security.

The initiative, known as Micro-Reforms for African Agribusiness (Mira) project, will work with African governments to provide them with the support they need to reform policies, regulations and administrative practices that inadvertently deter private sector investment in agribusiness.

Through Mira, Tanzanian policymakers will have access to high-quality local and international technical assistance to assist in identifying, prioritising and reforming specific agricultural regulations that are currently deterring or limiting private investment in small- and medium-sized agribusinesses.

Agra’s director of policy and advocacy, Dr Steven Omamo, said at the launch in Dar es Salaam yesterday that it was vital to create environments to encourage increased investment by the private sector into smallholder value chains.

“By reforming policies and strengthening the private sector; we will see smallholder farmers have better access to improved technologies such as seeds and other inputs; be able to access finance to grow their operations; and gain access to efficient markets to sell their products,” Dr Omamo said. The director of Policy and Planning at the Tanzanian ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mrs Nkuvililwa Simkanga, said: “Mira will play a pivotal role in helping review policies and regulations to spur greater development across Tanzania’s agricultural value chain.

The government committed to seeing it work for the long-term prosperity of smallholder farmers.”