REAP WHAT YOU SOW
In 2006, the Tanzanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation set a target for Tanzania's agriculture sector: to irrigate 1 million ha of land by 2020. More than 10 years on and moving ever closer to the deadline, this target has not yet been met, though the first seeds are being sown.
Tanzania's agriculture sector has indisputable potential. It currently represents nearly 30% of the country's GDP, and employs nearly 70% of the population. A vast amount—almost half—of Tanzania's total land mass is arable land.
And yet, as of 2016, only 5% of all cultivated land in Tanzania was irrigated. This represents 461,000ha of an available 29.4 million ha. Given that irrigation can literally double crop yields by enabling two harvests a year, it is not difficult to see why the Tanzanian government, through the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, is setting itself such ambitious targets.
Around 80% of Tanzania's population relies on rain-fed, seasonal agriculture. Supply is therefore erratic and unreliable, and food security is becoming more and more an area of concern. Irrigation would do away with this dependence on climactic conditions, mitigating the impact of global warming on agricultural productivity.
Not only that, Tanzania is well positioned, as enthusiasts put it, to become the proverbial “bread basket” of the region. While it is true that many Sub-Saharan countries compete for this title, there is no denying that Tanzania, with eight neighbors, is blessed with geographical advantage.
For example, Tanzania is currently a lead exporter of rice to Malawi and Kenya. With irrigation infrastructure in place, yields doubled, and the domestic market more than saturated, there is scope to increase exports to these markets, seek out further opportunities in the region, and even look further afield to the Far East, where food shortages are increasingly a threat.
In spite of this massive potential, up until recently, irrigation in Tanzania has not been a priority. Why? Because irrigation infrastructure is relatively expensive to construct, requiring high initial investments and a long wait for return on those investments. Instead, successive Tanzanian governments have focused on other areas and quick fixes for agricultural shortcomings, like fertilizer usage and seed improvements.
Recently, this has begun to change with the forming of the Tanzanian National Irrigation Commission, amendments to the 2009 National Irrigation Policy, and a cash boost of TSZ39 billion (USD17 million) from the national budget in 2016 earmarked for irrigation-related developments.
That said, irrigated land in 2014 weighed in at just under 500,000ha, meaning there is still a way to go to meet the 1 million mark. It is hoped that pioneer projects such as that being implemented in Kimamba village, in Kilosa district, just east of Dar es Salaam, will add a few more hectares of irrigated land to the total count.
A feasibility study has shown that this project, which will comprise construction of irrigation infrastructure and a dam on a 2,400-ha farm, will cost TSZ90 million (USD39,260). To meet the costs, the Tanzanian government has entered into partnership with the Chinese government to create an “Agricultural Park” with irrigated and developed land available for lease by Tanzanian farmers.
On the whole, however, private sector investment in irrigation is lacking, and this is where Tanzania needs to focus its attention if it wants to meet its 2020 deadline. There are calls for, first and foremost, more dialog with the private sector, followed by increased incentives to counterbalance the high initial costs, improved certainty regarding land ownership rights, and promises of better coordination among key stakeholders—development partners, small-holder farmers themselves, and the government—in order to accelerate investment. PPPs have proven to be a successful model for combining these incentives so long as there is active participation from all key stakeholders, especially the government.
A Herculean task that could also reap economy-shifting results, the irrigation of 1 million ha of land could help Tanzania sow more than just seeds twice a year.
REAP WHAT YOU SOW
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Guest Speaker
Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General, Commonwealth of Nations
TBY talks to Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, on the advantages of being a member of the Commonwealth, the need to celebrate diversity, and Tanzania's war against corruption.
read articleGuest Speaker
Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General, East African Community (EAC)
TBY talks to Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), on Tanzania's importance to the EAC, the major achievements of regional integration, and obstacles ahead of a monetary union.
read articleInterview
Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary , Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC)
TBY talks to Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary of Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), on its work to support the private sector in the country, tackling challenges in the economy, and clamping down on corruption.
read articleReview: Banking
The Quest for Depth
If Tanzania is to meet its 2025 vision of attaining middle-income status, it will need to corral its bank-centric financial and capital markets for greater depth by extending participation and rendering credit more accessible to SMEs, women, and the young to spur economic growth.
read articleInterview
Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner , Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA)
TBY talks to Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner of Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), on achieving universal healthcare coverage, the brilliance of microinsurance, and how to partner with public and private entities to increase the industry's penetration.
read articleReview
Legal Thunder
With the stepping down of Minister of Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo in May 2017 over transparency issues and the introduction of three new laws that give the government the right to renegotiate or revoke existing mining and oil and gas rights, private players in the country are unsure of what future lies ahead. On the other hand, project-specific developments bode well for a sector in need of a breakthrough.
read articleInterview
Kapuulya Musomba, Managing Director, Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC)
TBY talks to Kapuulya Musomba, Acting Managing Director of Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC), on the planned expansion of the Mtwara-Dar es Salaam natural gas pipeline, entering northern industrial hubs, and empowering nascent industries.
read articleInterview
Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director, Shell/BG Tanzania
TBY talks to Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director of Shell/BG Tanzania, on the critical need for economies of scale, the importance of developing LNG for export, and why renewables must be taken into account in any long-term plan.
read articleInterview
Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment
TBY talks to Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, on how to reach middle-income status, employing the private sector toward this end, and what sets the country apart from the rest of East Africa.
read articleFocus: Helium
Discoveries of Magna-tude
Despite being the second most common element in the universe, helium is in short supply on earth. With global reserves of the gas steadily dwindling, and demand steadily increasing, the discovery of a whopping 1.53 billion cbm of helium in underground chambers in Tanzania could not have come at a better moment.
read articleInterview
Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA)
TBY talks to Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General of Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA), on transportation budget allocation and cross-sector dialog and partnerships.
read articleInterview
Jared H. Zerbe, CEO, Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS)
TBY talks to Jared H. Zerbe, CEO of Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS), on regional trade flows and Tanzania's potential to take a leading role in orchestrating cargo movement.
read articleFocus: Tanzania Strategic Cities Project (TSCP)
East Africa’s “Geneva”
If Rome wasn't built in a day, it is not surprising that Tanzania's project to revamp eight of its largest cities is entering its eighth year of implementation. A release of further funds from the World Bank has given the project a new lease of life.
read articleReview
Lost in the Maize
Agriculture accounts for 30% of Tanzania's GDP, and the sector has experienced above-average output in recent years compared to the rest of the African continent. However, the sector's development is held back by poor rural farming practices and general infrastructure bottlenecks.
read articleInterview
Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
TBY talks to Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on the organization's long-term support for Tanzania's development, recent initiatives in agriculture, and financing.
read articleFocus: 2020 Irrigation Target
Reap What You Sow
In 2006, the Tanzanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation set a target for Tanzania's agriculture sector: to irrigate 1 million ha of land by 2020. More than 10 years on and moving ever closer to the deadline, this target has not yet been met, though the first seeds are being sown.
read articleFocus: Southern Circuit Tourism
Hidden Gems
Tourism is frequently described as the jewel in Tanzania's economic crown. In 2016 alone, the industry contributed over USD2 billion in revenues. However, for at least three years, the government has expressed concern that tourism is not well distributed across the country.
read article