By The Respondent Reporter
In Mombo, rice is not just food—it’s a lifeline. Since 1967, the Mombo Irrigation Scheme Cooperative has united 207 farmers, including 131 women, under one goal: to feed Tanzania and transform their communities.
Every year, the cooperative cultivates 625 acres of rice, producing over 80,000 bags, which after milling equals around 5,200 tons of polished rice.
With current market prices, this translates to a staggering TZS 7.8 billion annually—an impressive contribution to national food security.
Thanks to a low-interest loan from the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB), the cooperative has bought modern milling machines, rice processing equipment, a new tractor, and high-quality farming inputs.
These upgrades have slashed production costs, reduced post-harvest losses, and increased profits per acre.
For Mombo farmers, agriculture has shifted from survival to a profitable business.
Many have hired workers, supported their children’s education, bought vehicles, and lifted their families’ living standards.
“The Mombo project has created jobs for over 200 young people and women, provided steady income for farming families, and strengthened food security for thousands of households,” said project assistant chairman Charles Kweka.
He added that the initiative is boosting Tanzania’s rice value chain and ensuring smallholder farmers are central to the nation’s food solutions.
A board member, Rehema Athuman urged women across Tanzania to embrace agriculture, calling it the backbone of the country and a way to achieve economic independence.
The story of Mombo shows that when we invest in agriculture, we invest in people. By empowering farmers, we are planting the seeds for a stronger, food-secure, and prosperous Tanzania.
