The Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) has sent 14 of its borrowers to Japan to explore modern farming technologies and business partnerships, in a programme the lender says is designed to ensure its financing delivers measurable improvements beyond access to capital.
The customers, who collectively have received more than TZS62 billion in TADB financing, will attend J-AGRI Tokyo, a major agriculture and livestock exhibition scheduled for October 7–9 at Makuhari Messe. The exhibition brings together agricultural machinery, smart farming, drones, irrigation, post-harvest technologies and other solutions for the sector.
The initiative comes during TADB’s 2026 Customer Service Week, whose theme, “The Extra Mile,” reflects the bank’s attempt to broaden its relationship with borrowers beyond conventional lending.
TADB Managing Director Frank Nyabundege said the bank wanted its customers to return from Japan with practical knowledge, technology options and commercial contacts that could improve the performance of businesses financed by the bank.
“For TADB, customer service does not end with providing money. We want to ensure that the money is accompanied by knowledge, technology, skills and opportunities that enable the customer to grow and increase productivity in their activities,” Mr Nyabundege said.
He said the Japan programme was part of a broader approach in which TADB would measure its support not only by the amount of money disbursed, but also by what borrowers achieve with that financing.
“We are enabling our customers to go, see, learn and engage directly with manufacturers of modern agricultural technologies. We expect the knowledge, technologies and business relationships they gain through this programme to help them improve their operations, add value and ultimately deliver the impact of the financing TADB has provided,” he said.
The 14 customers operate in different parts of the agricultural value chain, including crop processing and value addition, warehousing, crop procurement, agricultural machinery, inputs and irrigation.
For them, the trip is expected to provide an opportunity to assess technologies before making investment decisions, including machinery and equipment that could reduce production costs, improve efficiency and minimise post-harvest losses.
The customers will also have an opportunity to obtain quotations from Japanese manufacturers and suppliers, discuss purchasing arrangements and explore possible technology partnerships.
Mr Nyabundege said the programme was also linked to TADB’s efforts to promote wider use of technology in Tanzania’s agricultural sector.
“TADB, in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is implementing a strategic project aimed at increasing the use of agricultural technologies in Tanzania,” he said.
He said exposure to Japanese experience could help identify technologies suitable for Tanzania’s production environment.
“This visit gives our customers an important opportunity to learn from Japan’s experience and identify technologies that can help improve production, processing, storage and value addition of agricultural products in Tanzania,” Mr Nyabundege said.
Speaking on behalf of the 14 customers, Kamal Simba said the trip would give them an opportunity to move beyond theoretical knowledge and see how agricultural technologies work in practice.
“It is a major opportunity for us to go to Japan, learn and see first-hand the technologies being used in agriculture,” Mr Simba said.»
He said the group was travelling with the expectation that the knowledge gained would translate into practical improvements when they returned home.
“We are going with a strong desire to learn, and we expect to return with knowledge and experience that will help us improve our businesses. We see this as part of the ‘Extra Mile’ that TADB has gone for its customers,” he said.
J-AGRI Tokyo is designed as a business platform linking agricultural producers, companies, importers, distributors and technology providers. The 2026 edition features technologies ranging from agricultural drones and smart farming systems to advanced machinery and other agricultural solutions.
For Tanzania’s agricultural businesses, the significance of the visit will ultimately depend on whether the technologies identified can be adapted to local production conditions and generate commercial returns.
The TADB-backed customers have already received financing to expand their activities. The Japan programme adds another layer of support by giving them access to international technology and suppliers that could potentially help them use that capital more efficiently.
The bank said the initiative forms part of activities marking Customer Service Week 2026 and is intended to strengthen its relationship with customers in agriculture, livestock and fisheries.
For TADB, the programme represents a broader definition of lending—one in which financing is combined with knowledge, technology and market connections to help businesses increase productivity and value addition across Tanzania’s agricultural economy.