TANZANIA – Farm For the Future (FFF), a Tanzanian agricultural firm has revealed plans of investing US$1.1 million in the construction of a dam and setting up irrigation systems.

The facilities will be utilized to provide water for its 250-hectare farm put under maize and macadamia nuts production.

According to reports by Citizen Tanzania, the environmental impact assessment on the project is under way and construction of the dam is set to commence in August 2021.

The irrigation systems will be installed in 2022 to pave the way for planting 112ha of seed maize and 65ha of macadamia the same year.

“We are changing people’s lives through our community development programmes, including demo plots in 16 villages together with our commercial partners.

“With the right investors on-board in the future, we can change the lives of thousands of people,” said FFF chairman and Project Manager, Mr Osmund Ueland.

The investment, is an opportunity for FFF to demonstrate the importance of efficient water use in farming.

Farm For the Future seeks to plant 112ha of seed maize and 65ha of macadamia in 2022

Apart from creating employment opportunities for farmers in Kilolo and Iringa Region, the project also offers a chance for residents to learn how to grow macadamia which attracts premium prices at world markets.

The global macadamia market is growing at a faster pace with the growing importance of healthy eating, and consumers are more frequently choosing nuts as a healthy snack option and incorporating them into their daily diets.

In addition, organic macadamia is also gaining popularity, with increasing demand coming majorly from the European countries.

The wide application of processed macadamia in different industrial segments, such as the food and beverage and cosmetics and personal care industries, is also augmenting the growth of these nuts in the global market.

According to Grand View Research, the global macadamia nut market size was valued at US$ 1.17 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.2% from 2020 to 2027.

Australia, Hawaii in the United States, and South Africa are the largest macadamia production regions in the world.

Tanzania has show-cased potential of becoming a macadamia producing hub with players like Ten Senses Africa, producer and exporter of organic and fair-trade macadamia and cashew nuts from Kenya, recently receiving backing from Pamoja Farms to expand its macadamia sourcing in East Africa mostly from Tanzania.

The partnership according to Ten Senses comes with a significant financial injection and increased management capacity in the company.

Pamoja Farms, a Swiss based operating group is set to bring onboard a lot of expertise on both management of tree seedlings nurseries and orchards, and in agronomy having been a player in the Macadamia value chain for 10 years in Tanzania.

The collaboration also seeks to introduce more advanced training to the 5,000 small holders currently enrolled in Ten Senses’ out-grower program.

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