By Zuwena Shame
Tanzania, a land blessed with golden sunshine and fertile soil, is on the brink of a significant agricultural transformation. Central to this change is rice—a grain that has long been a staple food and is now emerging as a symbol of prosperity. Tanzania’s agriculture sector has achieved remarkable success, with the country reaching 128 percent food security and becoming a net exporter of several crops, including rice.
According to Godfrey Kirenga, CEO of Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT), the country is uniquely positioned to become Africa’s rice hub. Leveraging its vast arable land, favourable climate, and strategic initiatives, Tanzania aims to increase rice production to 8.8 million metric tons by 2030, up from 3.0 million metric tons in 2021, under the National Rice Development Strategy (NRDS-II). “Through public-private partnerships, we are driving innovation and investment in the rice value chain, ensuring sustainable growth and food security,” says Kirenga.
SAGCOT, a public-private partnership initiative, has over the past decade spearheaded innovative programmes that have not only boosted rice production but also opened new markets, empowered farmers, and positioned Tanzania as a rising star in East Africa’s rice trade. Rice is identified as a strategic commodity within the SAGCOT initiative, underscoring its critical role in Tanzania’s agricultural strategy. Through strategic partnerships, SAGCOT has facilitated access to modern farming technologies, financing, and markets, empowering farmers to transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture.
The initiative is aligned to the aspirations of the Malabo Declaration, which championed the development of Agricultural Growth Corridors as a pathway to boosting productivity, reducing poverty, and promote sustainable development. SAGCOT, conceived in 2010, became a flagship example of this vision. By uniting governments, private investors, smallholder farmers, and development
partners, SAGCOT set out to create a thriving agricultural ecosystem in Tanzania’s fertile southern regions, stretching from Dar es Salaam to the borders of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. In line with the Malabo Declaration and its successor, the Kampala Declaration 2025, Tanzania’s SAGCOT initiative exemplifies the continent’s commitment to transforming agriculture into a driver of economic growth and food security.
The Kampala Declaration builds on the Malabo framework, aiming to further enhance food security, promote sustainable practices, and foster resilient agri-food systems across Africa. SAGCOT’s innovative approach focused on clustering investments around key value chains, including rice, sugarcane, tea, and horticulture. By 2014, the initiative had already delivered tangible results: soaring crop yields, improved livelihoods, and a surge in international investor interest. Tanzania’s collective efforts have made the country a net exporter of rice, with exports reaching $189 million in 2022.
Key markets include Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. SAGCOT promotes rice through commodity compacts, which are agreements designed to enhance the rice value chain alongside other strategic crops like soybeans and horticulture. The rice value chain also benefits from the cluster approach, which organizes farmers, agribusinesses, and stakeholders into geographic clusters.
This strategy has streamlined logistics, improved access to inputs, and enabled economies of scale in operational regions like Ihemi, Mbarali, and Kilombero, significantly enhancing agricultural productivity in these areas. SAGCOT’s transformative innovations have been instrumental in reshaping Tanzania’s rice sub-sector. Here are some initiatives that have driven this change: Cluster Development Framework: Organizing farmers, agribusinesses, and stakeholders into geographic clusters has streamlined logistics, improved access to inputs, and enabled economies of scale in regions like Mbeya, Morogoro, and Mbarali.
Rural Roads Development: Improved road networks have reduced transportation costs and post-harvest losses, ensuring timely market access for farmers.
Soil Health and Fertility Management: Promoting soil testing, organic fertilisers, and sustainable practices like crop rotation has boosted yields and ensured long-term soil health. Green Growth Partnership (GRP): Climate-smart practices such as conservation agriculture and agroforestry have improved yields while reducing the environmental footprint of rice farming. Inclusive Green Growth Tools (IGG-Tool): Tailored programs have empowered women, youth, and marginalized communities to participate in higher-value activities like rice processing and marketing. Youth Empowerment: Youth-led innovation hubs and entrepreneurship programs have created a new generation of agricultural leaders. Neglected Value Chains Transformation: Supporting complementary crops like soybeans and horticulture has enhanced the profitability and sustainability of rice farming systems.
Farmer-to-Farmer Initiatives: Peer-to-peer learning platforms have accelerated the adoption of best practices, leading to higher yields and better-quality rice. Commodity Associations: Farmers’ associations have strengthened market linkages, enabling farmers to negotiate better prices and access training. Laser Land-Leveling Technology: Optimising water use and increasing productivity through laser leveling has enhanced irrigation efficiency and reduced water wastage.
Biochar Production from Rice Husks: Converting rice husks into biochar has improved soil fertility while addressing agricultural waste management. SAGCOT with partners has promoted several initiatives to open new markets for rice and other agricultural commodities, including contract farming, standard certification, phytosanitary and plant health services, value addition, good agricultural practices (GAPs) and postharvest loss reduction.
Kirenga says that SAGCOT is actively looking beyond the established corridors to initiate strategic commodity compacts for rice in new areas. This effort aims to replicate the successes achieved in Ihemi, Mbarali, and Kilombero clusters, while expanding rice cultivation to untapped areas especially in the Central Corridor regions.”