Key points

• The Minister of Agriculture, Honourable Hussein Mohammed Bashe, together with the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI), launched the agricultural transformation and consultative workshop
• The workshop brings together agricultural stakeholders led by the Ministry of Agriculture to explore AATI support to Tanzania’s agricultural transformation agenda and setting up of an Agricultural Transformation Office (ATO) within the Ministry of Agriculture.
• The transformation office will support the implementation of the Food and Agriculture Delivery Compact and the Agriculture Sector Development Programme II.

Dodoma, Tanzania, – On Monday 19^th June 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture together with the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI) launched a consultative workshop that will run from 19^th – 23^rd June, 2023. The aim of the workshop is to explore AATI support to Tanzania’s agricultural transformation agenda, and engage in genuine discussions on the setting up of an Agricultural Transformation Office (ATO) within the Ministry of Agriculture. The ATO will support the implementation of the Food and Agriculture Transformation Agenda for Tanzania.

The workshop launch, held at Nashera Hotel, Dodoma, was chaired by the Minister of Agriculture, Honourable Hussein Mohammed Bashe, who lauded the existence of a robust and coherent approach towards agricultural transformation which will strengthen and enhance the country’s existing commitments to strengthen food systems and transform its agricultural sector. These efforts are also fully in line with the Food and Agriculture Delivery Compact led by the President and addresses core elements for a successful agricultural transformation.

‘Our ambition is to transform the agriculture sector. We therefore require an agricultural transformation master plan that is practical. Furthermore, we understand there will be no transformation of the agriculture sector if we don’t make it ready for commercialization. We want the agri-sector to work for the youth and women, but if we don’t modernize it, we cannot get there.’ Stated Hon. Hussein Mohammed Bashe, Minister for Agriculture.

To complement these efforts, the Executive Director of the AATI, Ms. Safia Boly, a former Minister of Mali for Investment Promotion, SME and National Entrepreneurship, noted that the United Republic of Tanzania has been selected as one of the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI’s) priority countries due to its considerable strides in the development and growth of its agricultural sector, policy reforms, and well-defined transformation strategies and agricultural investment plans.

‘Tanzania has been selected as one of the countries meeting all criteria for agriculture readiness and strong political support and backing. We can only achieve the goal that the minister of Agriculture has set for us if we have full participation of all stakeholders in the agriculture sector. We are looking forward to our collaboration,’ noted Ms. Safia Boly, Executive Director, African Agricultural Transformation Initiative.

Other agricultural stakeholders in attendance included Julius Sonoko, FAO, Jacqueline Machangu-Motcho (IFAD), Donald Mizamanja (AGRA) and Florian Ngali (WFP).

‘As development partners we pledge our support and commitment to this initiative. The road ahead may be long because transformation takes time, but with the right ambition and the partnership that we have, we will succeed and deliver on the transformation agenda,’ stated Jacqueline Machangu-Motcho, Country Programme Officer, International Fund for Agricultural Development.