Tanzania sets agricultural record, leads in food security

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Lagos — Tanzania has achieved a major agricultural milestone, reaching 128% food self-sufficiency, an accomplishment announced by President Samia Suluhu Hassan during the Norman E. Borlaug Dialogue in Iowa. President Hassan celebrated the country’s progress, noting Tanzania’s ability to export surplus crops to neighboring nations, and emphasized efforts to improve food quality, accessibility, and minimize post-harvest losses.

Joining the discussion, African Development Bank (AfDB) President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina praised Tanzania’s leadership and called on the international community to seize Africa’s investment potential in agriculture.

AfDB’s strategic initiatives have catalyzed agricultural transformation across Africa, with $72 billion mobilized since the 2023 Dakar 2 Food Summit.

Tanzania, as a standout participant, has leveraged this support to advance productivity and rural electrification, achieving nearly 100% coverage across its 12,300 villages. The country is also now one of the continent’s two leading cashew processors, creating local value in a crop typically processed overseas.

President Hassan highlighted how AfDB-supported programs targeting youth and women are empowering Tanzania’s 65% youth population, providing land and training for 11,000 young farmers to date.

Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio joined the session, sharing the success of the Feed Salone program, which has reduced rice imports by 20 million tons and boosted local production. Both leaders underscored agriculture as the cornerstone of development, with Adesina reinforcing Africa’s untapped potential as the world’s food basket. Addressing the crowd, Adesina urged investors, “If you’re not investing in Africa, what are you doing?”