Turning the tide on post harvest loss in Tanzania

Not every major change begins with loud announcements or grand declarations. Some arrive quietly and slowly reshape the landscape.

In Tanzania’s agricultural sector, one of the most pressing yet often overlooked challenges is post harvest loss. While developed countries tend to lose around 40 per cent of food at the retail and consumer stages, Tanzania faces a very different reality. Nearly 40 per cent of food is lost during post harvest handling and processing.

For horticultural produce such as fruits and vegetables, the situation is even more serious, with losses climbing to nearly 70 per cent. Poor storage facilities, weak transport systems, pests, rodents, diseases and mould all play a part. Policy gaps, infrastructure challenges and limited coordination also contribute to the problem.

The impact reaches far beyond the farm. Food security is weakened and farmers lose potential income. Tanzania has avoided famine in recent years, yet the country has developed a large market for its grains and pulses across neighbouring nations and overseas. Demand from these markets remains strong and far from fully satisfied. Food lost after harvest could have helped bridge this gap, increase export earnings and improve farmers’ livelihoods.

With the population now at about 66 million and growing rapidly, pressure on food systems continues to rise while farmland steadily declines. Recognising these challenges, the government introduced the National Post Harvest Management Strategy under the Agricultural Sector Development Programme Phase II. The goal is to reduce post harvest losses by half.

Technology is playing an important role in this effort. The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, working through the Pan Africa Bean Research Alliance programme, partnered with the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute to launch the project titled “Scaling Multi-Crop Threshing Machines for Women and Youth Empowerment in Tanzania”.

Through this initiative, farmers were introduced to MultiCrop Thresher machines capable of threshing and cleaning crops including maize, beans, sorghum, pigeon peas, sunflower, soybeans, finger millet, cowpeas, lablab and green grams. Beyond cutting losses, the machines reduce labour demands, improve grain quality and open business opportunities for young people and women.

Most of the beneficiaries were women and youth who received the machines at a 50 per cent subsidy after training by Imara Tech Ltd. Founded in 2016 by Alfred Chengula, the company has grown into a promising agri tech enterprise producing equipment for smallholder farmers across several African countries. Its journey shows how local innovation can strengthen food systems, create jobs and support a more secure agricultural future for Tanzania.