Coop Bank, AGRA team up to cut post-harvest losses
Managing Director Coop Bank, Godfrey Ng’urah (left) with Resident Director AGRA Tanzania, Vianey Rweyendela (right) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening food systems and reducing post-harvest losses in Dar es salaam.PHOTO | Michael Matemanga
Under the agreement, farmers in key food value chains will access farming equipment and storage facilities at discounts of up to 30 percent below market prices
Dar es Salaam. Thousands of smallholder farmers growing rice, maize and beans are expected to benefit from subsidised farming equipment and improved storage facilities under a new partnership between Cooperative Bank Tanzania Plc (Coop Bank) and AGRA.
The two institutions yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening food systems and reducing post-harvest losses in Tanzania.
Under the agreement, farmers in key food value chains will access farming equipment and storage facilities at discounts of up to 30 percent below market prices.
The initiative is part of AGRA’s RE-GAIN Programme, which focuses on improving smallholder farmers’ access to Food Loss Reduction Solutions (FL-RS) while strengthening climate resilience and food security.
The MoU was signed by AGRA Tanzania Country Director, Mr Vianey Rweyendela, and Coop Bank Managing Director, Mr Godfrey Ng’urah.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Mr Ng’urah said the partnership aligns with the bank’s long-term commitment to agriculture, which accounts for nearly 60 percent of its loan portfolio.
“Food security and sustainable financing are at the heart of our operations. After months of engagement, we are pleased to formalise this partnership with AGRA,” he said.
He added that the collaboration supports the bank’s ambition of reaching 10 million families by 2030, noting that agriculture remains the main source of livelihood for more than 80 percent of Tanzanians.
According to Mr Ng’urah, wider access to mechanisation and storage technologies will help farmers improve productivity, reduce food losses and increase household incomes.
On his part, Mr Rweyendela said the partnership would encourage suppliers and manufacturers to adopt climate-smart technologies while improving post-harvest handling systems.
“Climate change impacts have intensified across many African countries, including Tanzania, resulting in more frequent and prolonged extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and heatwaves,” he said.
He noted that repeated droughts continue to shorten growing seasons and reduce agricultural productivity, especially in vulnerable farming areas.
Mr Rweyendela said the RE-GAIN Programme seeks to strengthen climate resilience among smallholder farmers through increased adoption of food loss reduction technologies across seven African countries, including Tanzania.
According to World Bank estimates, a one percent reduction in post-harvest losses in Sub-Saharan Africa could generate annual economic gains of about $40 million, with much of the benefit going directly to smallholder farmers.
A farmers’ representative, Mr Thompson Mwakibinga, said the programme comes at a time when many farmers continue to lose produce because of poor storage and post-harvest handling challenges.
“This partnership will help reduce losses and improve farmers’ incomes by increasing the value of their produce,” he said.
