Zanzibar, Morogoro, Manyara showcase investment prospects in farming, industry, and fisheries

Unguja. Zanzibar, Morogoro, and Manyara have showcased investment opportunities in agriculture, agro-processing, industrial livestock farming, and the blue economy, urging investors to drive business growth and economic development locally and nationally.

The discussion took place on Sunday, 4 January 2025, at the Nyamanzi Exhibition Grounds during the Zanzibar International Trade Fair (ZITF).

The exhibition brings together entrepreneurs as well as government and private institutions from Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania.

Speaking at a panel discussion with experts and businesspeople from the three regions, the Assistant Regional Administrative Secretary responsible for Industry, Trade, and Investment in Morogoro Region, Ms Beatrice Njawa, said the region has 2.3 million hectares suitable for agriculture, but only 300,000 hectares have been cultivated so far.

“We need agricultural tools. Many farmers use poor-quality equipment, which presents a major opportunity. We also need agricultural mechanization centres to provide farmers with the necessary tools,” Njawa said.

She added that Morogoro has more than 3,400 industries, including 34 large-scale, 64 medium, and over 2,000 small-scale factories, indicating a need for further development.

“These factories need raw materials. We require major investors because we grow strategic crops for these industries,” she said, noting that some large farms have been abandoned or underdeveloped, creating opportunities for significant investment.

Ms Njawa also highlighted a shortage of post-harvest infrastructure, including storage facilities, which presents additional investment potential.

Meanwhile, the Chief Trade Officer in the Manyara Regional Commissioner’s Office, Mr Ally Mokiwa, said the region offers opportunities in sunflower, wheat, beans, maize, pigeon peas, and Tanzanite mining.

He said the main prospects lie in establishing processing industries for these products.

Mr Mokiwa said Manyara has 1.3 million hectares suitable for agriculture, of which 63 percent is already cultivated, including 25,000 hectares under irrigation.

“There are still areas that need irrigation infrastructure to increase food production, which presents a major opportunity. We welcome investors interested in this sector,” he said, noting that the region produces 637,000 tonnes of food annually.

Zanzibar’s Blue Economy Development Coordinator, Mwalim Nahoda Issa, said the sector offers substantial opportunities in five areas: fisheries and aquaculture, marine crops, tourism, marine conservation, transport and logistics, and renewable energy.

On fisheries and marine crops, he said Zanzibar has historically focused on nearshore fishing but is now investing in deep-sea fishing, creating new opportunities.

“We produce small fish, but now we want to process them rather than sell raw materials. We aim to sell processed fish, so this is another opportunity, and construction of processing factories has already begun,” said Mr Issa.

He added that infrastructure is also needed to process fish products, particularly as aquaculture becomes a growing focus.

A trade officer from the Ministry of Industry and Trade in the Union Government, Mr Ramadhan Sizyaa, noted that significant post-harvest losses occur, calling for strategic interventions.

He said between 30 and 40 percent of crops nationwide are lost after harvest.

“For fruits alone, 50 percent are spoiled, while maize and rice lose 20 to 40 percent. Fish suffer the highest losses at around 60 percent,” said Mr Sizyaa.

“This is because we lack cold storage facilities. Studies in the regions are needed to address this situation,” he added.

Closing the discussion, Director of Trade Development at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Mr Sempeho Manongi, said trade interactions between Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania are growing annually.

He said in 2022, trade between the two sides of the union reached Sh37.6 billion, up from Sh33.6 billion in 2021.

Mr Manongi noted that for 2023/24, trade reached Sh95.7 billion, rising to Sh106 billion in 2024/25.

“Trade interaction is important and continues to grow annually. It is therefore vital to maintain collaboration in business,” he said.