By The Respondent Reporter
One year after signing an investment agreement with the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA), Eagle Agrotech has made notable progress in developing a large-scale integrated agricultural project at Mkulazi Agricultural City, reinforcing Tanzania’s drive toward sugar self-sufficiency.
The agreement allows for a performance-based, phased lease of up to 20,000 hectares of land dedicated to sugarcane cultivation and sugar production.
Since the deal was signed, the investor has transitioned from planning to active implementation, with Phase I already underway.
Approximately 100 hectares have been cleared so far, while two contractors have been engaged to accelerate bush-clearing activities.
Each contractor is currently capable of clearing an estimated 250 to 300 hectares per month, significantly boosting the pace of land preparation and signaling readiness for large-scale expansion.
Under the project’s development roadmap, 10,000 hectares will be developed in the initial cultivation phase, with 8,000 hectares earmarked for active agricultural use.
Commercial sugar production is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2028, a milestone that will mark the transition from development to full-scale operations.
Once the project reaches its full capacity of 20,000 hectares, annual sugar output is projected to reach about 150,000 tonnes.
This production level is expected to play a major role in reducing Tanzania’s dependence on imported sugar, strengthening domestic supply, and conserving foreign exchange.
The steady progress at Mkulazi reflects an improving investment climate fostered by reforms introduced by the Sixth Phase Government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
These reforms have focused on simplifying investment procedures, improving access to land, strengthening public-private partnerships, and enhancing policy and regulatory certainty—factors that have enabled strategic projects like Eagle Agrotech to move efficiently from agreement to implementation.
Beyond sugar production, the investment aligns with national priorities on industrial agriculture, job creation, import substitution, and export-oriented growth.
The project is expected to generate significant direct and indirect employment, stimulate surrounding local economies, and support the country’s broader industrialisation and agro-processing ambitions.
With visible progress on the ground, Mkulazi Agricultural City is steadily evolving from a long-held vision into a tangible engine of agricultural transformation and industrial growth.
