Tanzania is on the right track to cut post-harvest crop losses by half come 2025, says a new report. The efforts are largely complemented by the country’s political will involving strategies and policies as well as major developments in storage infrastructure across the country.
A recently published third Biennial Review Report of the African Union Commission on the implementation of the Malabo Declaration, shows Tanzania is among countries that are on the right track in curbing post-harvest losses. In the quest to end hunger in the region, governments have committed to cutting post harvest losses in half by the year 2025.
By 2021 Tanzania had successfully reduced losses by 28 percent, therefore increasing availability and the quality of food without putting additional pressure on the environment and economy to produce more food. Stakeholders told The Citizen that the country has made commendable efforts to reduce food wastage in the agriculture value chain hence ensuring food security.
One of the areas cited is improvement of storage facilities. The director general of the Cereal and Other Produce Board (CPB), Dr Anselm Moshi, says many interventions have been made in the food supply chain. Several studies have reported that maximum losses happen during the storage operations, according to Dr Moshi. He notes that CPB’s plan is to expand the board’s storage capacity to enable it to store about 600,000 tonnes of cereals and other produce come 2025. “Using proper storage facilities with good technical and handling infrastructures can help reduce the loss of quality and quantity as well as crops’ economic values,” he says.
A study conducted by the Sokoine University of Agriculture (Sua) in 2012, indicated that postharvest loss for three major cereals as follows: maize (15.5 percent); paddy (10.7 percent) and (sorghum (12.5 percent). Overall, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) indicates that Tanzania farmers lose up to 40 percent of annual harvests through post harvest losses.
National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) chief executive officer, Mr Milton Lupa believes minimising cereal losses in the supply chain could be one of the resource-efficient ways that can help to strengthen food security and sustainable measures of combating hunger.
Mr Lupa says considering the criticality of post harvest losses during storage, the government through NFRA has invested a lot in establishing large and equipped storage facilities across the country. “We currently have the capacity to store 251,000 tonnes of food, despite the target of storing over 500,000 tonnes of produce,” he says. According to Mr Lupa the agency has built new storage facilities in Babati, Sumbawanga, and Mpanda whose construction has been completed. By July this year, the country will increase storage capacity by 90,000 tonnes, Mr Lupa says.
The NFRA boss says the country will be able to store a maximum capacity after one year when construction of all storage facilities will be completed.
Tanzania has enacted the National Post Harvest Management Strategy (NPHMS) 2019-2029 that aims at facilitating and building the capacity of post harvest actors in order to reduce losses and increase farmers’ income as well as food and nutrition values.
The 10-year strategy focuses on food crops, particularly cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables, roots and tubers, as well as crops that are used for production of edible oils. The strategy intends to provide significant interventions that will reduce post harvest losses and potentially offset the food deficit, according to the ministry of agriculture. According to the strategy, postharvest management in the country will largely depend on financial support from the government, the private sector, the international community as well as individual contributions. “However, an integrated approach and coordinated working system is highly required to ensure that funds to address post-harvest issues are used to achieve the objectives presented in the strategy,” reads part of the document.
Furthermore, the document suggests that funds mobilisation for financing NPHMS from several development partners supporting post-harvest interventions will be managed through special arrangement (equivalent to those of the Agriculture Sector Development Plan-ASDP) in order to remain focused. “Where necessary, the funding arrangement will require signing a common Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the government of Tanzania and development partners agreeing to operational modalities of the Basket Fund (using government system for disbursement and procurement),” stresses the strategy document.
Agriculture Non-State Actors Forum (Ansaf) executive director, Mr Audax Rukonge says many countries did not implement such a strategy, which is an indication that the government of Tanzania is ready to act and help farmers. “We still have a long way to go in building enough infrastructure because we have programmes and systems in place to support it,” he notes. He named some of the infrastructures as the processing industries, which will add value to raw produce and give them a new preferred quality for both domestic use and export.
Public policies that support post harvest losses in the country include the 2013 National Agriculture Policy and the Agriculture Marketing Policy of 2008 that collectively underscore the challenge of post harvest losses in achieving food security.
In order to implement such policies, a number of interventions have been formulated by the country including Kilimo Kwanza, Resolve, the Tanzania Agricultural and Food Security Investment Plan (TAFSIP) and Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor of Tanzania (Sagcot). These interventions were separately introduced in order to complement speedy implementation of the ASDP.
In the ten years post harvest management strategy, the government has highlighted a number of challenges that are still holding down efforts to address the post-harvest losses in Tanzania. The challenges include inadequate post harvest services, limited agricultural marketing infrastructures and shortage of relevant technologies.
Although the current policy environment is more receptive to the importance of the post harvest losses, the ministry has also admitted that the agriculture strategies have not paid adequate attention to the post harvest losses issues in efforts to increase food and income security. Additionally, there also is inadequate awareness on post harvest losses among stakeholders, including farmers and the costs to the economy and the environment.
CCARDESA, through the EU funded CAADP-XP4 project, held a national training workshop from 28th to 31st March 2022 at the Peacock Hotel in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. The primary purpose of the meeting was to familiarize key Officers from relevant Institutions, including the Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute (TARI), Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI), Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute(TAFIRI), Tanzania Forestry Research Institute(TAFORI), Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Ministries of Livestock and fisheries (MLF), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA), and the media to Knowledge management, Data capture guidelines and monitoring and disseminating information on the Malabo commitments.
The workshop also endeavoured to create awareness about CCARDESA themes and its programmes. Furthermore, the workshop sought to support the media understand how best Tanzania could meet its targets in reporting the Malabo commitments by disseminating information on the same in non-technical user-friendly formats.
Dr Joseph Nduguru officially opened the meeting and applauded CCARDESA’s efforts in building the capacity of the Tanzania stakeholders and ICKM focal persons of SADC countries on Knowledge Management, data capture guidelines and Malabo Commitments. Dr Ndunguru noted that tied to the workshop’s goals; participants will identify options to move forward at the national level to mainstream food and agriculture and ensure the realization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of the Malabo Declaration implementation. He said that this could only be achieved through a transformative change that must be done in a more integrated way, across sectors and varying stakeholder interests. He emphasized that monitoring, partnerships and financing are key aspects of the implementation process.
On behalf of the Executive Director (ED), Dr Cliff Sibusiso Dlamini of the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA), Ms Futhi Magagula, the CAADP-XP4 Programme Officer, thanked the government of the Republic of Tanzania through Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) for hosting this important workshop. Ms Magagula commended Tanzania for being the first country to initiate the implementation of the ICKM national plan that was developed during the regional training of CCARDESA ICKM Focal Points. She stated that, “this shows that Tanzania takes knowledge management and the Malabo Commitments seriously”. She went on to say that CCARDESA considers knowledge brokerage critical to ensure evidence-based policy decision making within the agricultural sector in the region. To substantiate this, knowledge management is one of the CCARDESA’s thematic areas and CAADP-XP4 project Output areas. Ms Futhi Magagula also gave an overview of CCARDESA and the CAADP-XP4 project, noting the project’s anchor on the CAADP framework and CCARDESA’s Strategic framework.
Dr Richard Kasuga, the Knowledge Management Manager for TARI and CCARDESA ICKM Focal Point, gave his keynote address. He noted knowledge management as vital if at all research is to contribute effectively to addressing the agricultural challenges for food and nutrition security, increasing economic well-being and improving the livelihoods of the local people. Dr Kasuga set the scene by asking why is ICKM important and why does it matter to all of us? The key to responding to this question was understanding what data, information, and knowledge meant? This was further elaborated in his detailed presentation.
Mrs Bridget Kakuwa-Kasongamulilo, the ICKM officer for the CAADP-XP4 Programme, presented the CCARDESA ICKM strategy. She intimated that Information, Communication and Knowledge Management is CCARDESA’s 5th thematic area, also outlined in the Medium-Term Operation Plan (MTOP). The thematic area’s primary goal is to ensure access to knowledge and information through various ICT technologies, traditional and electronic media for researchers, extension agents, farmers and the SADC region. She also outlined the functions of the CCARDESA Mobile App and took the participants through a physical application demonstration.
Mr Martin Muchero, an International Consultant and expert in agriculture and the CAADP framework, and Malabo Commitments reporting process, took the participants through the overview of the Malabo Declaration Commitments; their alignment between the Malabo Declaration and SADC Strategic Frameworks, Including the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (RAP) and the SADC Regional Agricultural Investment Plan (RAIP); the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020-2030; SADC Protocols and the SADC Agricultural Development Fund (ADF); the M&E Reporting on the Malabo and its indicators; and the status of Malabo Commitments in Southern and Eastern Africa.
Ms Vidah Mahava, CCARDESA ICKM Focal point for Tanzania, also a Senior Agriculture Researcher at TARI, presented the Tanzania Knowledge Management strategy where she highlighted its implementation plan. She also shared the Tanzania action plan that is under implementation, which guided the participants on how to develop their action plans to support information dissemination on the achievements on the Malabo commitments and CCARDESA Strategic Plan Themes. The action plan included timelines and targets and a monitoring framework that the CCARDESA ICKM focal point persons would follow.
Mr Benajmin Abugri the Knowledge Management, Learning & Communications Lead Specialist at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), facilitated on Knowledge Management at the continental level and how it can transform Africa. He also officiated in establishing a Community of Practice in Knowledge Management in the agriculture sector in Tanzania. The participants selected three interim Community of Practice executives who will develop a charter that will govern the Community of Practice’s operations.
Dr Hildellita Msita, the Centre Manager for TARI Kibaha, gave the closing remarks. She acknowledged the participants’ action plans that identified various knowledge products that will be developed to promote work on the Malabo commitments and CCARDESA themes in Tanzania. She encouraged all the participants to make an effort to walk the talk so that Tanzania moves one step ahead, emphasizing that knowledge gaps identified during the workshop be promptly addressed with the available knowledge products. Regarding the CCARDESA Mobile App, Dr Msita urged that the tool be promoted so that it can be used widely in Tanzania to better technology transfer to all Tanzanians. Dr Msita thanked CCARDESA and FARA for all the support rendered to make this workshop a reality. She also thanked all the institutions which saw the importance of sending a representatives to attend the workshop. She expressed great gratitude towards the resource persons and hoped that they had enjoyed the Tanzania hospitality. She wished everyone safe travels back to their respective places and declared the workshop officially closed.
The meeting ended with participants fully aware of essential knowledge management, Malabo commitments and CCARDESA themes. The training workshop was held under the auspices of the CAADP-XP4 Project, funded by the European Union and administered through the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
As Africa enters a critical decade, with the clock ticking on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, the multiple threats to the continent’s food, land and water systems are undermining efforts to reduce hunger, malnutrition and poverty.
The challenges Africa faces are increasingly connected to the rest of the world. History tells us that increased food insecurity can start and prolong wars, spark revolution and reverse economic development, all of which is made more likely by the impact of the pandemic, climate change and civil strife. Africa urgently needs a path forward that meets major threats to food, land and water systems with commensurate science, technology and innovation.
In a mutually beneficial manner, Africa is as important to CGIAR, the world’s largest publicly funded agricultural research partnership, as CGIAR is to Africa. For more than five decades, CGIAR has made huge contributions to shaping the science behind Africa’s agricultural development. The institutional reforms and the strengthening of Africa’s research capacities over the same timeframe have been phenomenal.
While Africa may appear to be losing ground in meeting its targets for food and nutrition security, the current scenario would be far more desperate without the impact and influence of CGIAR. Breakthroughs in upstream science including genetics, agronomy and environmental and resource management are helping farming communities better cope with today’s extreme conditions and unpredictability.
To build on this life-saving legacy and stay relevant to an Africa facing new and ever more complex challenges, CGIAR must continue to evolve. The transition to One CGIAR is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform CGIAR so it can deliver the science and innovations needed to build a food-secure future in Africa and beyond. There is an absolute necessity to continuously counter known and unknown shocks to the agrifood system whenever they are encountered. Farmers and all stakeholders must remain equipped with appropriate technologies and policy instruments to meet these challenges head on. The One CGIAR transition offers such clear benefits in reducing biotic and abiotic stressors.
From an organizational change point of view, integrating CGIAR’s governance into a more unified system provides a single entry-point for engagement and clear mechanisms to respond to locally relevant opportunities, priorities and needs – something long demanded by funders and country partners alike. In this context, while research and innovation work is carried out, as before, in a decentralized way, administration and management become streamlined in a way that engenders efficiency of resource utilization. In addition, the One CGIAR transition also aims to double current funding, unlocking more investment for its work and partners in priority regions, half of which cover Africa. In 2021, close to USD$1 billion was pledged to CGIAR by funders, a major vote of confidence in the reform.
At the same time, the drivers of Africa’s food insecurity are multi-dimensional, which means that understanding the specificities of Africa is crucial for the successful implementation, application and unpacking of the One CGIAR reform in Africa. With around half of the countries in which CGIAR works in Africa and with four One CGIAR research centres headquartered on the continent, One CGIAR can only be a success if it is a success in and for Africa.
Transformational change on the scale needed can only be delivered in the context of transdisciplinary partnerships with national, regional research and donor partners. With this in mind, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and FARA recently brought together the African Union Commission, regional economic communities (RECs) and representatives of agricultural research for development institutes, with CGIAR, at a meeting in Abidjan to ensure that the necessary One CGIAR reforms reflect the needs of African farmers.
In the space between the Abidjan meeting and high-level consultations planned in Dakar in May, there is great hope for the elaboration of a consensus position on the direction for food science and innovation coordinated by the African Union Commission, AfDB and FARA as part of ongoing consultations, CGIAR can move forward in its reforms with confidence.
Transforming Africa’s food systems can only be achieved as a joint effort. That is why CGIAR is embracing the opportunity and invitation to boost its engagement with its country and regional partners. Its leadership is committed to ensuring that the perspectives of all its partners are meaningfully reflected in the One CGIAR transition and future, leveraging shared history and relationships to respectfully build on the important legacy of the first fifty years.
Ultimately, people do not survive on MoUs or partner agreements, they survive on functioning food systems that provide safe, sustainable and equitable diets and livelihoods. As leading agricultural research organisations, whose success depends on country and regional partnerships, CGIAR and FARA are unwavering in their pursuit of a united and successful way forward for Africa.
Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
Dr. Claudia Sadoff, Managing Director, Research Delivery and Impact of the CGIAR System Organization (CGIAR)
La création d’emplois de qualité dans le cadre de la croissance économique régionale et nationale et du processus de développement est essentielle pour assurer une croissance durable et inclusive. Dans le cadre des efforts visant à appuyer la création d’emplois pour la population jeune en constante augmentation, de nombreux pays en Afrique subsaharienne ont au cours des dernières années mis en œuvre des programmes sur l’emploi des jeunes. En 2020, le Forum pour la recherche agricole en Afrique (FARA) a, en collaboration avec ses partenaires nationaux au Ghana, au Bénin, au Malawi et en Ethiopie, utilisé des études fondées sur les méthodes mixtes pour évaluer l’efficacité des initiatives pour l’emploi des jeunes mises en œuvre au cours des deux dernières décennies en vue de créer des emplois durables. Ces études ont permis d’identifier 47 grandes initiatives (dont 20 axés sur les jeunes et 27 initiatives générales). La Figure 1 présente la répartition des 47 initiatives fondée sur le système de classification de l’Organisation internationale du travail [1].
Figure 1. Répartion des initiatives pour l’emploi des jeunes
[1] (i) Des services de l’emploi – comme la mise à disposition d’informations sur le marché du travail, sur les services-conseils, les services de recherche d’emplois et de placement ;
(ii) Des programmes de formation et de perfectionnement des compétences -notamment ceux qui fournissent des cours d’alphabétisation pour adultes, une formation en cours d’emploi et hors du milieu de travail et des mesures d’incitation à la formation ;
(iii) Des programmes de création d’emplois – dont ceux qui offrent des subventions salariales, des emplois de courte durée dans le secteur public, des programmes de création d’emplois indépendants et des activités de développement de l’entrepreneuriat ; et
(iv) Un programme intégré – qui comprend un mélange des autres interventions.
Les études ont identifié des facteurs clés de succès relatifs à la conception, la structure de mise en œuvre, le partenariat et des mécanismes de couverture et de financement qui seraient utiles d’examiner dans le cadre de l’élaboration de futures initiatives de création d’emplois pour les jeunes. Ce sont entre autres :
la promotion de programmes de développement des compétences pour l’emploi des jeunes qui tiennent compte des défis liés au développement des jeunes dans la conception des initiatives en abordant les enjeux touchant les jeunes telles que l’organisation d’activités de formation et de renforcement des capacités bien adaptées ainsi que l’accès aux ressources (par exemple des terres, des technologies, des capitaux de démarrage et la possibilité d’acquérir une expérience professionnelle) ; et
l’intégration de l’approche par la chaîne de valeur dans le cadre de l’élaboration d’initiatives de création d’emplois pour les jeunes liés à l’agriculture.
Les résultats de la recherche indiquent également que des facteurs tels que l’âge, l’intérêt pour les entreprises liées à l’agriculture, les affaires et le commerce et les entreprises artisanales influent sur la participation aux programmes de création d’emplois pour les jeunes. En outre, des facteurs tels que la proximité des centres de formation des jeunes, des emplois dans les chaînes de valeur agricoles, le commerce et les échanges ont permis la création d’emplois durables pour les participants.
Les initiatives de création d’emplois pour les jeunes qui tiennent comptent des facteurs susmentionnés dans leur élaboration présentent un fort potentiel de création d’emplois. Toutefois, il y a plus de chances que les emplois créés soient viables si l’on tient compte des cinq propositions ci-dessous lors de leur mise en œuvre :
Élaboration de systèmes de suivi et évaluation pour garantir une évaluation continue des progrès réalisés, l’apprentissage par l’expérience et des modifications le cas échéant. Cela permettra de fournir des donnés pour éclairer la prise de décisions.
Élaboration de systèmes d’orientation et de conseil en vue d’aider les jeunes à faire des choix professionnels éclairés et à prendre des décisions en connaissance de cause.
Mise en place d’un mécanisme cohérent de coordination parmi les partenaires chargés de la mise en œuvre.
Intégration d’un dispositif holistique de renforcement des capacités, notamment dans les zones rurales.
Création de mécanismes novateurs de financement pour appuyer une mise en œuvre durable des initiatives de création d’emplois pour les jeunes.
L’étude était financée par le Ministère fédéral allemand de la coopération économique et du développement (BMZ) et mise en œuvre dans le cadre du Programme d’appui à la recherche pour l’innovation agricole (PARI). Le projet PARI est coordonné au niveau mondial par le Centre de recherche pour le développement (ZEF), de l’Université de Bonn en Allemagne et en Afrique par le Forum pour la recherche agricole en Afrique (FARA). Les opinions exprimées dans cet article n’engagent toutefois que leurs auteurs.
Pour en savoir plus sur le volet de la recherche par pays, voir :
Adegbola YP, Crinot GF, Dassou SS, Atacolodjou AL, Kouton- Bognon B, Adegbola MC-P, P Boadu et Fatunbi A.O (2020). A Review of Youth Employment Initiatives in Benin: Policy Perspectives. FARA Research Report 5(2): Pp 34 (Un examen des initiatives pour l’emploi des jeunes au Bénin : perspectives politiques. Rapport de recherche du FARA). https://library.faraafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/FRR-Vol-5-No-2-2020-1.pdf
Adegbola YP, Crinot GF, Dassou SS, Atacolodjou AL, Kouton-Bognon B, Adegbola MC-P, Boadu P, Fatunbi A.O (2020). Enhancing youth employment opportunities in rural economies in Benin. FARA Research Report 5(1): Pp 47 (Améliorer les perspectives d’emploi pour les jeunes dans l’économie rurale au Bénin. Rapport de recherche du FARA). https://library.faraafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/FRR-Vol-5-No-1-2020-1.pdf
Ampadu-Ameyaw R, Jumpah ET et Owusu-Arthur J, Boadu P et Fatunbi O. A (2020). A review of youth employment initiatives in Ghana: policy perspective. FARA Research Report 5 (5): PP41 (Un examen des initiatives pour l’emploi des jeunes au Ghana : perspectives politiques. Rapport de recherche du
International Labour Organization (2013).Global Employment Trends for Youth 2013: A generation at risk / International Labour Office – Geneva: ILO, 2013 (Organisation internationale du travail (2013). Tendances mondiales de l’emploi des jeunes : une génération en péril/Bureau internationale du travail – Genève : BIT) https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_212423.pdf
Clause de responsabilité : Les opinions exprimées dans le présent article sont celles de l’auteur et ne reflètent pas celles du FARA ou de ses membres.
These third-party projects have been launched in Nairobi, Kenya, and are currently engaged in a 5-day planning workshop to ensure synergies and a collective impact on the project outcomes.
In the opening remarks of the Executive Director of FARA, Dr. Yemi Akinbmijo reiterated that the AIRTEA’s focus on innovation is based on evidence assembled by FARA, ASARECA, EAFF, and other SROs over many years. One of the novelties introduced by AIRTEA is the concept of “Agribusiness Learning Alliances.” It is aimed at supporting the transition of farmers’ groups from subsistence to profitable and dynamic businesses.
He gratefully acknowledged the KCB Foundation for taking interest in the AIRTEA project. “We are optimistic that our discussions and your engagement in this kick-off will lead to a collaborative arrangement aimed at deepening the benefits derived by the end-users of the AIRTEA project and expanding its reach.”
FARA is coordinating the overall project, which includes knowledge management #KM4AgDchallenge support to ensure that it meets its objectives and is sustainable.
Experiences will be drawn from the PAEPARD project, amongst others, and will explore the use of proven approaches for agricultural development, including the Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (MSP), the User-Led Process (ULP), the IAR4D Innovation Platforms, the Agri-Business Learning Alliances (ABLA), and the Knowledge Management for Agricultural Development (KM4AgD) agenda, amongst others.
