Advancing ‘Agriculture is Business’ through Agenda 10/30: The Ministry of Agriculture’s breakthrough with COPRA

During the parliamentary debate over the Sh1.243 trillion agriculture budget for the 2025/26 financial year on May 20, the docket’s Minister, Hon Bashe, said the government amended the 1991 Food Security Act through the 2009 Cereals and Other Produce Act, establishing COPRA to oversee cereals and other produce better.

He noted that following the shift from our Agriculture Policy to Kilimo Biashara and the aspiration to posi­tion Tanzania as a food basket of the world.

Unlike traditional cash crops man­aged by existing crop boards, COPRA oversees all other crops previously referred to as food crops, ensuring that structured markets are in place to boost productivity and resilience.

Underscoring the government’s role to ensure food security and safety while maximizing Tanzania’s competitive position in the region, it necessitated the operationalization of COPRA to create regulatory frame­works that create market stability through supporting a conducive busi­ness environment and investment for growth.

Specifically, COPRA is tasked with overseeing the entire value chain for crops lacking structured systems or dedicated boards.

Excluding tea, sugar, coffee, cotton, sisal, tobacco, and cashew, COPRA supervises all other crops grown in Tanzania from cereals to flowers.

Its responsibilities include regis­tering and licensing actors such as farmers, traders, and premises, issu­ing trading guidelines, and providing import and export permits for the crops under its mandate.

“Since its inception, COPRA has issued permits for the export of 3.7 million tonnes of crops. They include 1,189 permits for 3 million tonnes of maize, 929 permits for 564,592 tonnes of rice, and 540 permits for 112,882 tonnes of beans,” said Hon Bashe.

He added that four regulatory frameworks covering quality control, registration, licencing and import/export permits, contract farming, and one specifically for avocado produce are slated for completion by June 2025.

Further, he said COPRA had rolled out nationwide public aware­ness campaigns to educate citizens on various guidelines governing cere­als and other produce. This education initiative has been delivered through multiple platforms, including com­munity meetings, radio, television, and social media channels.

Ambitious targets for 2025/2026

For the 2025/2026 season, the Ministry of Agriculture plans to increase the production of high-val­ue crops, raising sesame seed out­put from 200,000 tonnes to 250,000 tonnes, and cocoa output from 13,652 tonnes to 15,000 tonnes.

In addition, strategic interventions will be rolled out to boost trade in chickpeas, sesame, and avocados crops that collectively generated $3.54 billion in 2023/24 alongside coffee, cotton, tobacco, and cashew nuts.

Three of these high-value crops are regulated by COPRA, while the remaining four fall under the purview of their respective crop boards.

As an example of this growth tra­jectory, avocado production rose to 195,162 tonnes, with exports increas­ing from 26,826 tonnes in 2022/23 to 35,627 tonnes in 2023/24 surpassing the 30,000-tonne target by 118.7 per­cent. This milestone has positioned Tanzania as the third-largest avocado producer in Africa.

The Minister for Agriculture add­ed that COPRA will register 91,000 cocoa farmers and their farms in the Mbeya, Morogoro, and Tanga regions, as part of its efforts to comply with international standards and expand the market.

Additionally, Hon Bashe stated that one million cocoa seedlings will be produced and distributed in Tan­ga, Kigoma, Kagera, and Morogoro through a subsidy programme.

In the 2023/2024 season, the Min­istry, working with COPRA and other stakeholders, supported the produc­tion of 7.5 million tonnes of horticul­tural crops (fruits, vegetables, flow­ers, spices, and herbs) 83.5 percent of the nine million-tonne target.

The Minister attributed this pro­gress to the government’s efforts in expanding access to new markets, fostering a conducive business envi­ronment, and equipping farmers with training on good agricultural prac­tices.

Looking ahead to 2025/2026, the Ministry plans to continue imple­menting horticultural strategies to achieve a production target of nine million tonnes. The Ministry also aims to increase avocado exports to 40,000 tonnes in 2025/2026, sup­ported by production of 2.1 million seedling under a subsidy program, building 3 packhouses and 100 collec­tion centres, expansion of extension services by deploying BBT Exten­sion service (BBT Ugani), rolling out training and close monitoring pro­gram to farmers on good agricultural practices.

To combat avocado pests, the Min­ister announced that the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Author­ity (TPHPA) will distribute 3,000 litres of pesticides and 1,000 litres of copper sulphate under a government subsidy programme.

Remarks from MPs

Special Seats MP Hon Agnes Hoko­roro praised the government efforts to improve input access and extension services, but called for more direct ministry involvement.

She applauded the government’s efforts to improve access to farm inputs and pesticides, which she said have boost­ed productivity.

The lawmaker noted that last sea­son, cashew nuts fetched between Sh3, 500 and Sh4, 195 per kilogram at the Tanzania Mercantile Exchange (TMX), while pigeon peas sold for between Sh1, 800 and Sh2, 200 per kilogram.

Her Special Seats counterpart, Sophia Mwakagenda (CHADEMA), praised the government’s avocado initiatives in Rungwe and commend­ed COPRA Director General Irene Mlola for her leadership.

“I commend President H.E. Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan for the trans­formation in Mtwara. This is unprec­edented. We thank her administra­tion,” she said.

She added, “Minister, you gave us COPRA and Irene. She has worked hard to end the pain of selling avo­cados in sacks. I believe the next sea­son will be even better managed,” she said.

Nsimbo legislator Anna Lupembe (CCM) highlighted the need for farm­er education before integrating ses­ame from Katavi into the warehouse receipt system.

“We appreciate the government’s work. In Mtwara and Lindi, people are already benefiting. But Katavi is new to this system, and the locals are used to informal trading. We should prioritize education,” she advised.

Nominated MP Hon Riziki Lulida urged the government to treat Como­ros as a strategic export market due to strong cultural and dietary ties, especially with Lindi, Mtwara, and Ruvuma regions.

“If we keep relying on distant mar­kets and they reject our produce, we’ll be stuck. Engage ambassadors to strengthen food trade. Comoros relies on Tanzanian food this can boost the economies of our southern regions,” she stressed.

Special Seats MP Hon Neema Mwandabila (CCM) backed the 2025/2026 plan to distribute avoca­do seedlings and establish process­ing factories for substandard export produce.

“We have an investor, Lima, who’s helping reduce the burden of unsella­ble avocados. However, I urge Minis­ter Hon Bashe and your team to sup­port Lima to maximize this opportu­nity. Beyond oil, we can produce fer­tilizer and other products,” she said.

COPRA’s mandate and the vision ahead

In a recent interview with The Cit­izen, COPRA Director General, Ms Irene Mlola, said that the institution aims to revolutionize agriculture by formalising the marketing of crops not covered by existing boards.

They include: cereals such as maize, rice and sorghum; horticultural crops such as fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs; oilseeds and nuts including sesame, groundnuts, sunflower and palm oil; root and tuber crops such as cassava, yams and potatoes; as well as pulses/legumes such as beans, lentils, pigeon peas, chickpeas, cowpeas and soybeans.

“For years, Tanzania classified some crops as food and others as cash crops. This discouraged farmers from treating cereals and other produce as commercial commodities,” she said.

She stressed that under President H.E. Dr Samia’s administration, major investments have been made in agriculture to position Tanzania as the world’s food basket.

“The outdated dichotomy between food-crops-versus-cash crops no longer holds. COPRA now oversees a broad spectrum of food crops, includ­ing cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and hor­ticultural produce,” she said.

She added that COPRA’s top prior­ity was formalising market systems to enhance crop quality, streamline value chain efficiencies, and promote inclusive integration.

This approach aims to elevate Tan­zania’s agricultural sector as a whole, aligning with “Kilimo Biashara” under the Agenda 10/30 framework, ensuring competitiveness in regional and global markets.