Tanzania, Cuba sign malaria control, fertiliser pact

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has formed a partnership with Cuba aimed at enhancing local production of biofertilisers and biolarvicides. 
This initiative is designed to reduce import dependency and strengthen the fight against malaria through the Tanzania Biotech Products Limited (TBPL) facility located in Kibaha.
The agreement, signed between the National Development Corporation (NDC) and the Cuban firm Labiofam S.A., will facilitate technology transfer for the local manufacture of biofertilizers, malaria control products, and other biotech inputs, utilizing Cuban expertise and innovations. 
Currently, Tanzania imports up to 90 percent of its fertilisation needs.
Under the new deal, the Kibaha-based TBPL facility is expected to produce 600 million liters of biofertilizer and six million liters of malaria biolarvicide annually, along with other related bioproducts. 
Dr Nicholas Shombe, the managing director of NDC, stated that this partnership is part of a broader plan to establish up to ten production sites under the TBPL brand.
“By 2027, we expect to have seven operational sites, eventually reaching ten. These will operate under TBPL, a subsidiary of NDC,” he said.

Dr Shombe emphasised that this initiative would reduce foreign exchange outflows, create job opportunities, and contribute to improved health outcomes.
 “We cannot become a prosperous nation without eradicating malaria,” he added.
Mr Julio Gomez Gonzales, the director of Labiofam S.A.  reaffirmed Cuba’s long-term commitment to the initiative, highlighting that the deal will support both health and agricultural development. “Our focus is on helping Tanzania eliminate malaria by 2030 and promoting the use of environmentally friendly farming inputs,” he said, noting Tanzania’s strategic position as a regional hub.
Tanzania’s Ambassador to Cuba, Mr Humphrey Polepole, described the agreement as historic. “This technology transfer will help eliminate harmful chemical inputs in agriculture, improve food safety, and enhance the export value of Tanzanian produce,” he said. 
He further noted that the facility, being the first of its kind in collaboration with Cuba and only the third of its kind in Africa, would serve as a continental model while also boosting Tanzania’s capacity to locally manufacture vaccines and herbicides.
Cuba’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Yordeni Despaigne Vera, mentioned that the collaboration, which began in 2022, has already led to pesticide production at the Kibaha facility. 
“The factory will manufacture ten products under the guidance of Cuban experts,” he said, assuring ongoing support from the Cuban government.
This partnership is expected to enhance Tanzania’s self-sufficiency in agricultural inputs, advance public health goals, and position the country as a regional leader in biotechnology manufacturing.