EASTERN AFRICA GRAIN COUNCIL

Country Operations Strategies -Tanzania

Board Meeting/Induction Program30-31 May 2013

Samwel Rutto, STS Manager1

EAGC Tanzania –Strategic Direction• In the year 2010 , the 5-year SBP was

developed it identified 4 critical pillars which formed the building blocks from which it begun building a compelling national proposition.

• The four pillars are:– Strengthening EAGC institutional framework – Support to Structured Trading Systems (STS)– Increasing access to market information – Influencing Trade Policy

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EAGC Tanzania –Strategic Objectives

• Target to obtain donor funding for TZ programs• Self-generate additional funding to cover operational

overheads• Build internal capacities to manage programs effectively• Sensitize and increase awareness of EAGC Tanzania to grow

membership to include all grain value chain players• Collaborate with organizations that are already working

with farmers• Improve on-farm storage technologies through farmer

associations• Partner with local training institutions and other centers of

learning in order to support farmer education • Work with AGRA and other organizations on provision of

loan guarantees for equipment procurement, driers, cleaners, etc to EAGC registered farmer associations

1. To strengthen the institutional framework for development and promotion of Tanzania grain sector.

• Develop a grain tracking mechanism to identify true status of grain availability.

• Support the development of processing and storage facilities in the country

• Establish long-term market relationships• Encourage use of collective marketing best practice• Facilitate access to local and regional markets and

strengthen existing marketing institutions • Organize and build the capacities of small scale farmers

to trade at commercial levels • Provide all players within the grain value chain with

market information• Link producers with potential buyers (market) by

providing market price information • Link producers to national and international markets with

a view to strengthening market collection points 5

2. To improve the local market infrastructure in order to enhance grain productivity

• Develop a culture of quality standards and value addition to assure better prices

• Promote use of structured trading systems such as Warehouse Receipt System, etc

• Provide technical, operational and financial training on the Warehouse Receipt System

• Encourage private sector investment in the establishment of market infrastructure

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2. To improve the local market infrastructure in order to enhance grain productivity (Cont’d)

• Identify and partner with market information providers• Evaluate and validate given market information by different

providers• Build the capacity of RATIN to provide buyer and seller

information relevant to Tanzania • Strengthen collaboration between RATIN, Tanzania National

Bureau of Statistics, Food Security Information Team (FSIT) and others

• Routinely provide grain market information to producers and traders

• Disseminate relevant market information through local media

• Conduct regular feedback survey on usefulness of EAGC provided market information

• Partner with mobile telephone service providers to disseminate market information 7

3. To establish a system for providing timely, reliable and relevant market information

• Holding frequent trade fairs to influence producers and traders on the benefits of focusing on emerging market trends

• Develop trade policy briefs /bulletins with articles dedicated to grain markets

• Mount a public-private sector dialogue on importance of cross border grain trade

• Participate in all grain sector policy formulation and involve key stakeholders

• Lobby for the separation of market regulatory functions from market development functions and from consumer protection functions

• Conduct and publish regular reviews, research and study on the grain sector

• Participate in harmonization of quality standards at regional level• Work with others to ensure fair play in the industry

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3. To Influence national trade policies to promote grain production and trade

• EAGC in collaboration Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), brought the grain actors together to work on the harmonization of the region quality standards.

• EAGC Tanzania organized and conducted successful training programs including TOTs, warehouse operations and fumigation.

• EAGC Tanzania in partnership with FAO Southern Highlands Food Systems (SHFS) facilitated the generation of four working groups on WRS, Policy, COMEX and Farmers’ support…the groups meet regularly

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Key Achievements (1)

• EAGC Tanzania in collaboration with Selian Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) recently hosted it first annual agribusiness expo in Arusha last year

• Tanzania stakeholders including the Ministry of Agriculture have been instrumental in the development of regional food balance sheet (FBS). The national FBS committee in Tanzania which is facilitated by EAGC meets quarterly to update the national food balance sheet

• In Tanzania EAGC monitors nine markets-Arusha, Mwanza, Tanga, Morogoro, Mbeya, Dar es salaam, Iringa, Songea and Dodoma.

• To date EAGC has recruited 21 members in Tanzania 10

Key Achievements (2)

Asante…….