The government plans to invest USD 77.4 million, equivalent to TZS 208.9 billion, to build the capacity of 260,000 economically disadvantaged farming and fishing households.
This initiative will provide them with technical support and connect them with financial institutions, particularly the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB), over a six-year period.
The aim is to strengthen these households economically through enhanced agricultural and fisheries production.
These households, which represent approximately 1.3 million Tanzanians across 11 regions of mainland Tanzania, will benefit from the Agriculture and Fisheries Development Program (AFDP). The project is designed to strengthen integrated food security and nutrition systems across 41 local government authorities in these regions.
To ensure successful implementation of the AFDP program, the Prime Minister’s Office – Policy, Parliament and Coordination (which oversees the program) has collaborated with the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), the main implementing body.
Together, they have convened Regional Administrative Secretaries from all 11 regions, along with liaison officers from the relevant councils, to ensure a unified approach and effective coordination in executing the program.
During a working session in Morogoro, the Director of Regional Administration at the President’s Office – PO-RALG, Ms. Beatrice Kimoleta, stressed the importance of rigorous financial management. She cautioned against any misuse of the funds allocated for the program.
"I would like to emphasize that these funds must be used strictly according to the guidelines set out for this program. The government expects to see positive outcomes as outlined, and not even a single shilling should be diverted from its intended use. Misusing these funds would be an injustice to the beneficiaries, and I expect that no one will alter the allocation of these resources," said Ms. Kimoleta.
In his briefing, Mr. Salimu Mwinjaka, the AFDP Program Coordinator, outlined the regions that will benefit from the program: Morogoro, Manyara, Singida, Dodoma, Tabora, Mwanza, Lindi, Coast, Shinyanga, Geita, and Tanga.
He further explained that by the conclusion of the AFDP program, the government envisions owning its own fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean, benefiting Zanzibar’s residents with seaweed farming opportunities.
Additionally, the program aims to reduce post-harvest losses of fish, improve access to high-quality seeds for maize, sunflower, and legumes, and establish fish feed production factories. This will ensure the availability of high-quality fish fingerlings for sustainable aquaculture.