General agriculture & manufacturing in Tanzania
- Agriculture remains central: it employs roughly 65–67% of the employed population. TICGL+3TICGL+3Tanzania Investment Centre+3
- Contribution to GDP: Agriculture accounts for about 25‑27% of GDP. Mordor Intelligence+2TICGL+2
- Increase in government investment: The budget for the agriculture sector has increased sharply (from ~Tsh 294 billion in 2021/22 to ~Tsh 1.24 trillion in 2024/25). Kilimokwanza+1
- Food self‑sufficiency: Tanzania has achieved ~128% food self‑sufficiency in 2023/24, meaning domestic production of many staples exceeds consumption. Daily News+3Kilimokwanza+3TICGL+3
Data for Specific Key Products
Here’s what’s happening with each of the items you listed (or closest equivalents), with recent data.
| Product | Situation / Trends | Latest figures (tons / production etc.) |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | Cash crop, export‑oriented. Production has been rising. Replanting / seedling programs ongoing to increase yield and quality. Tanzanian Affairs+3Kilimokwanza+3Kilimo+3 | ~81,366 tonnes in 2024/25. Kilimokwanza |
| Tea | Similar role to coffee: export crop, receiving government support (seedlings, replanting). Kilimo+2Kilimokwanza+2 | Seedling distribution for tea: ~3,048,000 seedlings in latest period. Kilimo |
| Cashew nuts | Rapid growth: large increase in production, major export crop. IPP Media+2Kilimokwanza+2 | ~528,263.8 tonnes in 2024/25. Kilimokwanza+2IPP Media+2 |
| Maize | Staple food crop. Big growth due to increased input use, subsidies, extension, etc. Kilimokwanza+2Daily News+2 | ~12.26 million tonnes in 2023/24. Kilimokwanza+1 |
| Rice | Also increasing strongly. Important both for food and some export/local trade. Kilimokwanza+2Daily News+2 | ~3.046 million tonnes in 2023/24. Kilimokwanza+1 |
| Banana | A staple in some regions; production growing but less dramatic compared to maize/rice/cash crops in recent data points. National Bureau of Statistics+2FoodPulse+2 | Exact recent tonnage varies: for example, in one quarterly report bananas ~147,000 tons in 2024 vs ~142,000 in 2023. National Bureau of Statistics |
| Chicken (poultry) | Poultry production is rising. Both meat and eggs. National Bureau of Statistics+1 | Chicken meat: ~132,442 tonnes in 2023/24. National Bureau of Statistics |
| Milk | Also increasing, though capacity constraints remain. Some growth in hybrid cattle contributions. National Bureau of Statistics+1 | ~3,937,109,000 litres in 2023/24 (combined indigenous + hybrid). National Bureau of Statistics |
| Meat | Beef, goat/sheep, pork, chicken all trending up. Need better processing / value addition. National Bureau of Statistics | Total meat production ~963,856 tonnes in 2023/24 across all categories. National Bureau of Statistics |
| Fishing | Growing sector, particularly with improved regulation, infrastructure. But I did not find as detailed recent tonnages in what I reviewed. Some growth in value‑export of fisheries products. TICGL+2Tanzanian Affairs+2 | |
| Horticulture (tomato, spices, fruits etc.) | Increasingly important. Emphasis on value chain, export markets, more seedlings & improved varieties, export of avocados, etc. Some reports of horticultural production being near targets but still lagging in some areas. Kilimokwanza+2Tanzanian Affairs+2 | Avocado: production increased to ~195,000 tonnes in 2024/25. Tanzanian Affairs |
Challenges & Constraints
While the data show good progress in many areas, there are still several constraints:
- Post‑harvest losses — big issue, especially for perishable crops (fruits, vegetables) and for grains where storage is inadequate. Kilimokwanza+2FoodPulse+2
- Infrastructure — roads, market access, cold chain for horticulture, etc., often weak in many rural areas.
- Processing / Value addition — much of production is raw; local processing and manufacturing of agricultural products often underdeveloped. This limits gains from export markets and internal industrialization. Tanzania Investment Centre+2FoodPulse+2
- Input access & cost — seeds, fertilizers, machinery are getting attention, but cost, availability, and usage still need improvement. IPP Media+1
- Irrigation — only a small fraction of suitable land under reliable irrigation; rainfall variability / climate impacts are real. IPP Media+1
- Market price volatility / export dependency — for cash crops (coffee, tea, cashew, etc.), world prices fluctuate, which affects farmer incomes. Also export markets demand quality, certifications, etc.
Outlook & Manufacturing Linkages
- There is a strong push in policy to expand agro‑processing and manufacturing so more raw produce is processed locally (e.g. cashew processing, dairy products, meat processing, vegetable preserves etc.). This both raises value, creates jobs, and reduces imports of processed food. Mordor Intelligence+2Tanzania Investment Centre+2
- Government targets include reducing post‑harvest losses dramatically (from 30–40% down to ~5% by 2030). Kilimokwanza
- Horticulture (fruits, vegetables, spices) is expected to grow at a higher rate, driven by domestic demand (urbanization, rising incomes) and export opportunities.