TPSF pledges to work with Sagcot to ‘revolutionalise’ farming

DAILY NEWS Reporter

TANZANIA’S bid for a middleincome economy by 2025 has released hidden agro-industry opportunities that could forge a new partnership in the country’s farming sector between the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) and Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (Sagcot).

The outgoing chairman of the Sagcot Board of Directors, Mr Salum Shamte, said this at a recent function to inaugurate a new Board in Dar es Salaam. Mr Shamte has been replaced by Mr Ally Laay as board chairman.

The new Board Members are Prof Honest Ngowi (pictured), Mr Gaudence Temu, Ms Antoinette Tesha-Ntlemo, Mr Brian LoBue, Mr Robert Pascal and Ms Janeth Simkanga. Mr Shamte said it was time the TPSF worked “very closely” with Sagcot to turn challenges that abound in farming into agroindustrial opportunities.

“At the moment there are wide-spread ‘loud’ voices from the government talking about making Tanzania a middleincome economy in less than a decade. We in the TPSF hope to work very closely with the Sagcot, turning challenges in agriculture into opportunities to grow industries,” he said.

Mr Shamte, who is TPSF Deputy Chairman, said the only plausible way of turning the challenges into valuable opportunities was for TPSF to work closely with Sagcot in solving peasants’ problems and in making agriculture feed industries.

But, he cautioned, that would only happen when peasants start producing sufficient world-class raw materials for the country’s industries. He said there was no reason for Africa to spend $35 billion on food imports while the continent could feed itself, arguing that “there are many ways of making a peasant produce more than is the case at the moment.”

Sagcot’s Chief Executive Officer, Geoffrey Kirenga said the partnerships open opportunities for people of all skills and trades to prosper in agriculture and dairy farming. “There are many opportunities in supplying inputs, seeds, promoting crops and adding value to all types of farm produce,” he said.

The outgoing Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Ms Jennifer Baarn, said peasants value a lot the work being done by Sagcot.

“In the field, as I worked with peasants, I was taken in very high esteem; so high a degree I am unable to explain … it shows Sagcot is doing very good work to the farmers.” Sagcot funders include the Tanzania Government, Norwegian Embassy, UKAID, World Bank, USAID, UNDP and AGRA.