Almost seven years ago, the Tanzanian government approached fertilizer company Yara regarding a fertilizer partnership that would provide a stable supply of mineral fertilizers for the country’s farmers. Two years later, in 2006, the idea for the project expanded: realising that the real challenges extended beyond the supply of crop nutrients, the partnership needed to address the entire agricultural value chain. In 2008, The Tanzania Agricultural Partnership was launched.
The TAP consists of public institutions, private companies and national and international organisations coordinated by the Agricultural Council of Tanzania (ACT), the umbrella organisation for the agricultural private sector in the country. The partnership aims to reduce rural poverty by delivering appropriate agricultural inputs and improving output markets for Tanzanian farmers. It aims to blend commercial and developmental goals: its success will be determined by both business activities and effective public service delivery. After an initial fast track pilot scheme in 2006, national roll-out has been going on since 2008 to cover 25 districts.
Yara play an active role in the partnership, with a special priority given to the distribution of fertilizer, including establishing credit facilities for farmers and setting up storage with a warehouse receipt system.