Tanzania Agricultural Partnership (TAP)
Overview
This amazing project started out as the Tanzania Fertilizer Partnership with the aim to make the most effective use of fertilizer for the growth of the agricultural sector as whole. The former Tanzanian Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda formally launched the TAP in October 2005 after a grant of USD 2.7 million was received from The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
A national rollout plan will take place throughout 2011 covering 25 districts initially, expanding to 56 districts, and eventually covering the entire country.
Prorustica was involved in the initial design of this groundbreaking partnership and the establishment of the secretariat that runs the Partnership. We were contracted initially as a Partnership Development advisor by Norad, the global fertilizer producer Yara and the Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries (Norfund).
Prorustica now provides strategic advice and project management expertise to TAP. We have designed and developed a successful Fast Track Initiative to reduce poverty by improving the use of agricultural inputs like seeds and fertilizers throughout the value chain. We are now working with TAP to design and rollout the next phase of the programme into 25 districts providing additional guidance and support where needed.
Background
The concept was presented to the NEPAD African Fertilizer Summit in Abuja in June, 2006, and again to the Oslo Conference for a Green Revolution in Africa in September 2006 hosted by Yara, Rabobank, Norad and Norfund.
The Oslo Meeting resolved “to take concrete and concerted action towards the development of self-sustaining changes in African agricultural growth through the use of enhanced approaches to public-private partnerships”.
It was also recognized that although access to reasonably priced fertilizer was vital, other inputs - like quality seeds - are crucial to stimulate the sustainable growth of commodity markets. Thus the partnership has grown into the Tanzania Agricultural Partnership (TAP).
The Partnership
TAP is an innovative PPP and is in line with the agendas of NEPAD’s CAADP, the Africa Green Revolution and the Government of Tanzania’s “Kilimo Kwanza” (Agriculture First) initiative.
The partnership is between Tanzanian Government agencies, an international consortium of private and public sector actors and district-based farmers’ organizations as well as commercial banks and micro-finance institutions.
TAP includes the Farm Inputs Promotion (FIPs) initiative that is helping to stimulate demand for inputs in 13 districts. TAP is also aligning the work of FIPs with the CNFA/AGRA-led Farm Inputs Retailer training programme and is coordinating value chain support work to develop and sustain demand for major food crops.
TAP’s main role is to provide support to the agricultural sector in its aims of stimulating an African Green Revolution. It is doing this through appropriate inputs delivery that are more affordable and accessible to Tanzanian farmers’, improving output market linkages and efficiencies, increasing profitable agricultural production, stimulating private sector investment and encouraging best practices in both development and commerce.
Achievements
TAP provides support to a Tanzanian Green Revolution by:
- Facilitating the delivery of appropriate inputs
- Ensuring access to affordable inputs Improving output market linkages
- Increasing profitable agricultural production
- Stimulating private sector investment
- Encouraging best practices in both development and commerce
