CAIRO, Egypt: Tanzania and Egypt have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the extraction and value addition of minerals used in fertiliser production, in a move aimed at supporting both the mining and agricultural sectors.
The agreement was reached on Sunday during talks between Tanzania’s Minister for Minerals, Anthony P. Mavunde, and Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, on the sidelines of the Egypt Mining Forum in Cairo.
The two ministers agreed to expand technical cooperation, including the exchange of expertise in mineral exploration and the development of phosphate resources.
Mr Mavunde said Tanzania and Egypt had a long history of cooperation and that the meeting provided an opportunity to identify areas where the relationship could deliver greater economic benefits.
“Tanzania and Egypt have a long history of cooperation, with our leaders continuing to strengthen these relations through reciprocal visits,” Mr Mavunde said.
He said Tanzania had significant phosphate resources that remained underdeveloped despite their potential to support domestic fertiliser production.
Tanzania is estimated to spend more than $500 million annually on fertiliser imports, according to the minister, highlighting the potential economic significance of developing local raw materials and processing capacity.
Mr Mavunde asked Egypt to support Tanzania in developing the fertiliser value chain, particularly through investment and technical expertise in phosphate exploration, mining and processing.
Mr Badawi said he would engage major phosphate fertiliser investors and businesses in Egypt and encourage them to visit Tanzania to assess investment opportunities in mineral extraction and value addition.
The discussions also covered Tanzania’s small-scale mining sector, with Mr Badawi commending the country for its framework for managing small-scale miners.
He said the sector had become an important contributor to Tanzania’s mining revenues, accounting for more than 40 per cent of collections, according to figures cited during the meeting.
The proposed cooperation comes as Tanzania seeks to increase local mineral processing and reduce reliance on imports of products that can be produced from the country’s mineral resources.
For agriculture, the development of domestic phosphate resources could create opportunities for local fertiliser production, while for mining it could expand the market for mineral exploration, processing and related investments.