Tanzania’s Parliamentary Public Investments Committee (PIC) has urged the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) to diversify its funding sources and strengthen its capital base to enable it to extend affordable loans to more farmers and accelerate agricultural development.
The call was made on Saturday, November 7, 2026, by PIC Chairman Mr Ojambi Masaburi during the committee’s visit to TADB, coordinated by the Office of the Treasury Registrar (OTR), which oversees the Government’s investments in public institutions and companies.
He said the bank needed to reduce its reliance on government funding by exploring alternative ways of mobilising capital, including share issuance, bond financing and strategic partnerships.
He said diversifying its funding base would strengthen TADB’s financial capacity and allow it to expand access to affordable credit, particularly among rural farmers and livestock keepers who need financing to improve and scale up production.
The chairman also called on the bank to raise public awareness of its services, saying greater understanding of available financing opportunities would enable more farmers to access credit, increase production and improve their incomes, ultimately contributing to national economic growth.
PIC Vice-Chairman Mr Elibariki Kingu said TADB’s performance should not be measured solely by its financial returns, but also by the tangible improvements it brings to farmers’ livelihoods.
He said the bank should play a transformative role in agriculture by ensuring farmers have access to financing, modern technology and improved production methods.
Mr Kingu illustrated the potential impact of such support by citing a sunflower farmer who, with access to credit and better technology, could increase production from 20 to 35 bags per acre.
He further urged TADB to focus more on farmers directly involved in crop production rather than relying predominantly on agricultural traders, stressing the importance of establishing closer links with farmers in production areas.
“You need to establish direct relationships with farmers in different production areas,” he stressed.
Acting Treasury Registrar Lightness Mauki said the Government would continue supporting TADB through capital strengthening, facilitating access to financial resources and engaging development partners to enhance the bank’s capacity to fulfil its mandate.
She described TADB as a key institution in developing the entire agricultural value chain, from production and processing to marketing.
Ms. Mauki said the Government would continue working with the bank to address its challenges and strengthen its performance, recognising its role in supporting agricultural development and improving access to finance across the sector.
Earlier, while presenting the bank’s report, TADB Acting Managing Director David Nghambi said the bank’s shareholders’ capital had increased from Sh76.7 billion in 2020 to Sh553.2 billion as of September 2026.