New project launched by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa aims to encourage more investment from the private sector into Tanzanian Agribusinesses
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DAR ES SALAAM (30 September 2014)— An initiative launched today, by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), will create the change needed to encourage more private sector investment into the Tanzanian agribusiness sector, giving the country’s smallholder farmers access to the seed, inputs and markets they need to contribute the country’s food security.
The Micro Reforms for African Agribusiness project (MIRA) will work with African governments to provide them with the support they need to reform policies, regulations and administrative practices that inadvertently deter private sector investment in agribusiness.
Through MIRA, Tanzanian policies makers will have access to high quality local and international technical assistance to assist in identifying, prioritizing and reforming specific agricultural regulations that are currently deterring or limiting private investment in small- and medium-sized agribusinesses.
At the launch, AGRA’s Director of Policy and Advocacy, Dr Steven Were Omamo, said it was vital to create environments, to support and encourage increased investment by the private sector into smallholder value chains.
“By reforming policies and strengthening the private sector; we will see smallholder farmers have better access to improved technologies such as seeds and inputs; be able to access finance to grow their operations; and gain access to efficient markets to sell their products,” Dr Omamo said.
Director of Policy and Planning at the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Mkuvililwa said: “MIRA will play a pivotal role in helping review policies and regulations to spur greater development across Tanzania’s agricultural value chain.
“It is a program the government has welcomed with both hands and it’s committed to see it work for the long-term prosperity of smallholder farmers,” she added.
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