On September twenty-four, two thousand twenty-four, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed an agreement with the Government of Tanzania in Dodoma to launch the "Project for Empowerment and Promotion of Agriculture Through the SHEP Approach" (TANSHEP2).
The project is aimed at helping small-scale farmers improve their livelihoods by using the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach.
The project focuses on three key goals including institutionalize the SHEP approach and make it a regular part of agricultural extension officers’ duties, strengthening local district teams so they can spread the SHEP approach through the District Agricultural Development Plan (DADP) and work with stakeholders, development partners, and the private sector to expand the SHEP approach nationwide.
TANSHEP2 will be implemented in several regions, including Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Morogoro, Njombe, Iringa, Mbeya, Dodoma, Singida, and Manyara, over a period of more than four years.
The Ministry of Agriculture and the President’s Office for Regional Administration and Local Government will manage the project.
The initiative will also contribute to global goals, including ending poverty, zero hunger, promoting gender equality, and supporting decent work and economic growth.
“The SHEP approach encourages farmers to treat farming as a business,” said a project spokesperson. With the motto, ‘Start from the market, finish on the farm for higher income,’ we want to help farmers base their production on market demand. In the first phase of TANSHEP, farmers in Arusha, Kilimanjaro, and Tanga increased their income by nearly half. Now, with the second phase, we aim to make SHEP a regular service in local government authorities,” Mr. Ara Hitoshi, Chief Representative of JICA Tanzania said.
During the signing ceremony, Mr. Gerald Mweli, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, expressed his gratitude to the Government of Japan and JICA.
“We are thankful for the continued cooperation in the agricultural sector,” he said.
“The first phase of TANSHEP shifted farmers’ mindsets from ‘Grow and Sell’ to ‘Grow to Sell,’ which has increased their income. We have high expectations for the second phase to impact even more farmers and extension officers across the country,” he added.
“We appreciate Mr. Mweli’s leadership in implementing the project,” he said. “Agriculture is crucial for improving livelihoods and food security, and we will continue to support the farmers through TANSHEP2, focusing on value chain improvements and ensuring better lives for all involved,” Mr. Ara added at the event.