Tanzania has hit a record 130 per cent Agriculture self-sufficiency rate, driven by a surge in crop production that generated a significant surplus for the 2025/2026 period.
Tanzania has officially reached a historic 130 per cent food self-sufficiency rate, signaling a major boost for the nation’s food security. Minister of Agriculture, Daniel Chongolo, announced the achievement on Tuesday while presenting the ministry’s budget proposals for the 2026/2027 financial year to the parliament in Dodoma.
This milestone follows a period of robust growth in domestic output during the 2024/2025 farming season. According to official data presented by the minister, total food crop production rose to over 23.78 million tonnes in the most recent season, marking a 4.3 per cent increase from the 22.80 million tonnes recorded during the 2023/2024 period.
The production breakdown highlights strong performances across different crop categories. Cereal production reached 14.92 million tonnes, reflecting a 2.3 per cent increase over the previous season. Even more impressive growth was observed in non-cereal food crops, which surged by 7.8 per cent to reach approximately 8.86 million tonnes.
Minister Chongolo explained that the total food produced during the 2024/2025 season comfortably surpassed the national requirement, which was estimated at 18.28 million tonnes for the 2025/2026 consumption cycle. This success resulted in a surplus of more than 5.5 million tonnes of food crops.
The minister attributed this performance to a combination of improved agricultural practices and favorable production conditions. He emphasized that this surplus provides the nation with a strategic advantage, creating an opportunity to strengthen food security, stabilize domestic commodity markets, and significantly expand the country’s footprint in the export of agricultural produce.
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