Value addition of agriculture products is crucial to the sector’s development in Tanzania and improving the livelihood of the country’s smallholder farmers. To contribute to agricultural transformation, IITA-Tanzania and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (ABC), through the Supporting and Strengthening Community Resilience in Tanzania (SSUCORETA) project purchased 14 processing machines for smallholder farmers and processors groups to increase processing efficiency in value addition of their products.
SSUCORETA handed over eight cassava milling machines and six sunflower oil presses to farmers and processors in six regions—Dodoma, Geita, Kagera, Manyara, Morogoro, and Mwanza. Production from the new machines will increase the value of agricultural commodities, boosting revenue and income for smallholder farmers and processors.
During the installation, the beneficiaries also received hands-on training on properly operating the machines. Speaking at the hand-over of cassava slicing machines to the Kolping Society of Tanzania group in the Kagera region, the project coordinator from IITA, Lembris Laizer, noted that the SSUCORETA project empowers farmers to add value to their crops, particularly cassava, sunflower, and beans.