10th Global Africa Agri Expo, Driving Investment

Tanzania’s agricultural sector has been identified as a major investment destination in East Africa, with international companies showing growing interest in technology transfer, mechanisation, value addition and business partnerships.

Speaking during the 10th Global Africa Agri Expo and the 3rd Future Food and Livestock Expo at the Saba Fairgrounds in Dar es Salaam, TAB Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Tahir Abdulbari, said Tanzania was selected to host the 10th edition because of its significant agricultural potential and strategic position as a gateway to the East African market.

Abdulbari said the exhibition, which brings together stakeholders from across the agricultural value chain, is designed to connect international companies with Tanzanian businesses, policymakers and other industry players.

He said the organisers were working to bridge the gap between international investors and local stakeholders by creating a platform where they could explore investment opportunities, partnerships and sustainable business models.

“We see significant agricultural potential within this market, as it is one of the main gateways for business in the East African region,” Abdulbari said.

He identified technology and knowledge transfer as some of the biggest opportunities available to Tanzania and other African countries, particularly in improving agricultural productivity and strengthening local value chains.

According to him, Tanzanian and African companies have an opportunity to establish partnerships with international firms, while foreign investors can explore opportunities to establish factories, businesses, dealerships and other operations in the country.

He said the support provided by local authorities and agricultural associations was important in helping international companies understand Tanzania’s investment environment, licensing procedures and operational requirements.

Abdulbari noted that companies from India, Europe and the Middle East were already engaging with local authorities to understand the investment landscape and explore opportunities in the agricultural sector.

He said Tanzania’s vast arable land and hardworking workforce provide a strong foundation for agricultural development, but emphasised the need to accelerate mechanisation, technological advancement and value addition.

“Ultimately, success depends on how much value is added to the product,” he said, stressing that greater value addition would enable farmers and businesses to benefit more from agricultural production.

He added that the cost of agricultural technologies was declining, while international companies were increasingly developing solutions tailored to the needs and conditions of African markets.

The CEO also highlighted India’s agricultural experience as an important area from which Tanzania could learn, following the participation of the Indian Ambassador at the exhibition.

He said India had made significant progress in agriculture over the past four to five decades and that its experience could provide useful lessons for Tanzania, particularly because of similarities in farm structures, geographical conditions and the importance of smallholder farmers.

Discussions at the exhibition have included technologies and agricultural inputs that could be adopted by smallholder farmers to improve production and productivity.

Abdulbari said the Indian and Tanzanian governments had also previously undertaken initiatives and discussions aimed at supporting the development of the agricultural sector.

He further emphasised the importance of young people in Africa’s agricultural transformation, saying the continent has a large number of young people eager to participate in economic activities if appropriate opportunities and resources are made available.

He said exhibitions such as the Global Africa Agri Expo provide an important platform for bringing together governments, investors, businesses, technology providers, farmers and other stakeholders within the agricultural ecosystem.

According to him, such interaction can help create networks, facilitate business partnerships and accelerate the adoption of technologies capable of transforming Africa’s agricultural sector.

The 10th Global Africa Agri Expo and 3rd Future Food and Livestock Expo have attracted participants from Tanzania and other parts of Africa, as well as international companies seeking investment and commercial opportunities in the region.