By Business Insider Reporter
AGRA, a leading pan-African agricultural transformation institution, and Cooperative Bank Tanzania Plc have signed a landmark partnership agreement aimed at strengthening climate-resilient agriculture, reducing post-harvest losses and improving food security for smallholder farmers across Tanzania.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in Dar es Salaam on May 11, 2026, forms part of AGRA’s RE-GAIN Programme, an initiative designed to expand farmers’ access to Food Loss Reduction Solutions (FL-RS) and enhance resilience against climate-related shocks affecting agricultural production.
The strategic partnership deal was signed by AGRA Tanzania Country Director, Vianey Rweyendela, and Coop Bank Managing Director, Godfrey Ng’urah.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Mr. Ng’urah said the partnership aligns with the bank’s Vision 2030 agenda, which prioritizes food security, sustainable financing and support for farming communities nationwide.
“Agriculture accounts for over 60 percent of our loan portfolio. This partnership marks a significant milestone in our shared mission to transform agriculture and improve the livelihoods of Tanzanian farmers,” he said.
He noted that the collaboration would support the bank’s ambition of reaching 10 million families by 2030, emphasising the strategic importance of agriculture to Tanzania’s economy and livelihoods.
“More than 80 percent of Tanzanians depend on agriculture directly or indirectly. Strengthening farmers’ resilience and improving post-harvest systems is critical not only for food security, but also for economic growth and poverty reduction,” Mr. Ng’urah added.
Under the partnership, AGRA and Coop Bank will promote climate-smart agricultural technologies, strengthen post-harvest handling systems and support wider adoption of practical solutions aimed at reducing food losses and increasing productivity among smallholder farmers.
Mr. Rweyendela said climate change continues to pose serious threats to agricultural production across Africa, including Tanzania, through prolonged droughts, floods, heatwaves and declining productivity in vulnerable farming communities.
“The RE-GAIN Programme seeks to enhance the climate resilience and adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers by promoting the widespread adoption of food loss reduction solutions across seven African countries, including Tanzania,” he said.
He added that the programme is designed to help farmers protect their harvests, stabilise incomes and build more resilient agricultural value chains amid growing climate uncertainties.
“Through RE-GAIN and our partnerships, we are working to strengthen post-harvest systems, expand access to climate-smart technologies and provide practical solutions that improve food security and resilience for farming communities,” Mr Rweyendela said. The partnership reflects growing efforts by development organizations and financial institutions to position agriculture as a key driver of economic transformation, sustainability and long-term food security in Tanzania and across Africa.
