By Brandon Moss | AgriFocus Africa

Tanzania has placed sustainable agricultural mechanisation at the centre of its strategy to transform agriculture, boost productivity, and strengthen food system resilience, Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba said at the opening of the first Africa Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanisation (ACSAM) in Dar es Salaam.

Addressing delegates at the summit—hosted through a partnership between the Government of Tanzania and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)—the Prime Minister underscored the growing continental consensus around modernising agriculture. He pointed to frameworks such as the Framework for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanisation in Africa (F-SAMA), the CAADP Kampala Declaration, and the CAADP 10-Year Strategy (2026–2035) as evidence of Africa’s shared commitment to food security, investment, and resilient production systems.

Dr. Nchemba said Tanzania has already stepped up investment in mechanisation services, youth skills development, and agricultural research. Central to this effort is the National Agricultural Mechanisation Strategy, developed in collaboration with FAO, which aims to accelerate the adoption and sustainable management of modern technologies across production and value-addition value chains.

As part of the rollout, the government is establishing integrated agricultural mechanisation service centres nationwide. Plans include procuring 10,000 tractors and related equipment to support 1,000 ward-level centres—an initiative expected to raise productivity, reduce production costs, and free farmers to engage in other economic activities alongside expanded training programmes.

The Prime Minister also called for deeper collaboration between governments, the private sector, research institutions, and development partners. He announced Tanzania’s readiness to work with FAO to establish an African Centre of Excellence for Agricultural Mechanisation, alongside the launch of the second phase of the National Agricultural Mechanisation Strategy (2026–2035).

Held from February 3 to 6, 2026 at the Johari Rotana Hotel in Dar es Salaam, the conference comes at a pivotal moment for Tanzania’s agricultural transformation. Dr. Nchemba said long-standing sector challenges can be addressed through inclusive and sustainable mechanisation, urging participants to set clear, measurable targets to support a modern and resilient agricultural economy.

He highlighted low youth participation as a persistent challenge, driven in part by reliance on outdated farming tools. This, he noted, has shifted much of the labour burden onto women, contributing to lower productivity and widening gender gaps. Inclusive mechanisation, he said, offers a pathway to attract youth back into agriculture, expand employment opportunities, and improve livelihoods across the sector.