TANZANIA · AGRICULTURE
Key Facts
- —The country Tanzania is an East African country led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, with Mwigulu Nchemba as prime minister.
- —What happened On Tuesday 20 October 2026, Nchemba invited US agribusiness firms in Des Moines, Iowa, to invest, three Tanzanian outlets reported.
- —The land Nchemba said 44 million hectares (about 109 million acres) suit agriculture, and 10.8 million hectares (about 25%) are cultivated.
- —The water The country could irrigate 29.4 million hectares but irrigates only about 727,000 hectares, roughly 2.5% of that potential.
- —The market Nchemba said a Tanzanian base reaches a regional market of about 170 million people across East and Central Africa.
- —The US angle Microsoft, a Mexican fibre start-up and a UN farm-lending agency took part in the talks, held beside a food-security conference in Iowa.
- —Still open No investment amount, signed deal or named US buyer was reported.
Tanzania agriculture was pitched to US firms on Tuesday 20 October 2026, when the prime minister invited them to invest. The Citizen, Mwananchi and Daily News reported that Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba spoke in Des Moines, Iowa.
He spoke at a side session of the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, a food-security conference. The audience was made up of agricultural research, technology, seed and crop-protection companies.
What the Prime Minister Told Iowa
Nchemba said Tanzania agriculture needs money for the work after harvest, including processing, packaging, storage, cold chains, transport, and digital and financial services. He told the room that agricultural investment could create jobs, improve nutrition and widen economic opportunity.
He told the room that agricultural investment could create jobs, improve nutrition and widen economic opportunity. Tanzania agriculture, he said, also gives investors access to a wider regional market.
The Land and Water Numbers
Nchemba said Tanzania has 44 million hectares of land suitable for agriculture, and only 10.8 million hectares are cultivated. A hectare is about 2.5 acres, so the gap is roughly 82 million acres of land said to suit farming.
On water, he said the country could irrigate 29.4 million hectares but now irrigates about 727,280 hectares. That is roughly 2.5% of the potential, and he presented the gap as room for investors.
What Investors Were Asked to Build
The invitation reached beyond the farm gate, to warehouses, cold storage, trucking and farm finance. Nchemba said the government is already spending on irrigation schemes, seed production and programmes that bring young people into crops, livestock and fishing.
He called the private sector a key partner in adding value to crops, opening markets and creating decent jobs. The Citizen, Mwananchi and Daily News all put the regional market at about 170 million people in East and Central Africa.
Microsoft Makes the Case for Farm AI
Dr Ranveer Chandra, Microsoft’s chief technology officer for research, told the session that the company has backed farm projects in Tanzania for years. They include digital payments for 50,000 sunflower farmers through the MADE Alliance, and wider internet access through the provider Mawingu.
Microsoft also worked with Absa Tanzania, a bank, and the group Women in Tech to train 5,000 women in artificial intelligence (AI). Chandra said AI should support farmers rather than replace them, and that Tanzania could become a regional hub for farm AI built around local conditions.
A Mexican Start-Up and Two Other Meetings
Adolfo Vidal Ruiz, founder of the Mexican firm CeluNova, said his company makes fibre from pineapple leaves for toilet paper and kitchen towels. He used it as an example of turning farm waste into a product.
Nchemba also met Gérardine Mukeshimana, vice-president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a United Nations lender to rural areas, The Citizen reported. They discussed agriculture, fisheries and the blue economy, and he thanked IFAD for backing deep-sea fishing projects.
Talks With the World Food Prize Foundation
Daily News reported that Nchemba met the foundation’s president, Mashal Husain, and chief executive, Tom Vilsack, on the sidelines of the Dialogue. He proposed a youth partnership for training and research in modern farming, and asked for a regional DialogueNEXT meeting in Tanzania.
The foundation’s leaders welcomed the youth proposal and said they were ready to keep discussing a Youth Institute programme in the country. The Citizen added that Nchemba also met Huub Lelieveld, the 2026 World Food Prize laureate, on 20 October.
What It Means for US Readers
US companies that sell seed, crop chemicals and farm software now have a prime minister’s invitation and figures to test. Any move depends on incentive terms that were not published, and on wider ties, reviewed in this Rio Times explainer.
For US consumers the link is indirect, since the reports describe a regional pitch. IFAD’s Mukeshimana did commend Tanzania for contributing to food supplies in neighbouring countries, The Citizen reported.
What Is Not Known
Neither report on Tanzania agriculture gave an investment amount, a named US company that plans to invest, or a signed agreement. The tax and non-tax incentives that Nchemba mentioned were not itemised.
It is not clear which of the 44 million suitable hectares would be offered to foreign companies, or on what land terms. The reports also do not say how many companies attended the session.
More: Tanzania news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Tanzania’s prime minister say in Iowa?
Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba invited US firms on 20 October 2026 to invest in Tanzania agriculture, processing, storage and farm services. He said the country has 44 million hectares suited to agriculture, with only 10.8 million in use.
Where did the meeting take place?
It took place in Des Moines, Iowa, on the sidelines of the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, a food-security conference. Nchemba also held talks there with leaders of the World Food Prize Foundation.
How much of Tanzania’s irrigation potential is used?
Nchemba said Tanzania agriculture could irrigate 29.4 million hectares but now irrigates about 727,280. That is roughly 2.5% of the potential.
Did any US company announce an investment?
No investment amount or signed deal was reported. Microsoft described farm projects it already runs in Tanzania, including payments for 50,000 sunflower farmers.
Why does the regional market matter for Tanzania agriculture?
Nchemba said a Tanzanian base reaches about 170 million people across East and Central Africa. He argued that investing in Tanzania means investing in that wider market.
Sources: The Citizen (English), 22 October 2026; Mwananchi (Swahili), 21 October 2026; Daily News (English), 22 October 2026; Daily News: World Food Prize Foundation talks, 22 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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