Tanzania promotes investment in maize, edible oils and avocado value chains
Tanzania is seeking private capital for maize, edible oils and avocados, spanning production, processing, storage and logistics. The country has a maize surplus and growing avocado exports, while a 426,068-tonne edible-oil deficit presents an import-substitution opportunity.
Three value chains presented to investors
Tanzania has identified maize, edible oils and avocados as priority agricultural value chains for private investment as it seeks to expand production, processing and exports. Government officials presented the opportunities at the Tanzania Deal Room during the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026 in Kigali, Rwanda.
Deputy Minister for Agriculture David Ernest Silinde said the government had created an enabling investment environment around the three sectors. The offer covers more than primary farming: Tanzania is seeking capital and strategic partners for processing, storage, logistics, mechanisation, value addition and access to export markets.
Investors can qualify for fiscal and non-fiscal support, according to George Mukono, Director of Investment Promotion at TISEZA. The measures cited include tax incentives, capital allowances, Special Economic Zones and streamlined investment facilitation. The government did not provide project-level investment requirements, expected returns or implementation schedules.
Maize surplus and edible-oil deficit create different openings
Tanzania produced 11.93 million tonnes of maize in the 2025/26 season, according to Peter Msofe, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture. Output represented a self-sufficiency ratio of 154%, leaving a surplus of more than four million tonnes. Those figures point to opportunities beyond additional cultivation, particularly in aggregation, drying, storage, milling, animal feed and the movement of grain toward domestic and export buyers.
The edible-oil market presents the opposite supply position. Tanzania faces a deficit of about 426,068 tonnes, creating room for investment in oilseed production, crushing, refining and other value-added activities. Closing even part of that gap through domestic capacity could reduce dependence on imported oils, although investors would still need to assess feedstock availability, farm yields, collection networks and the competitiveness of locally processed products.
The contrast between the two chains is commercially significant. Maize investors must find efficient outlets for an existing surplus and manage storage and price risks. Edible-oil investors are addressing an established shortfall, but their projects depend on building a reliable supply of oilseeds and processing them at a cost that can compete with imports.
Avocado exports establish a market base
Tanzania produces about 201,354 tonnes of avocados, while exports have reached 26,826 tonnes valued at approximately US$77.3 million, Daily News reported. Export volume is therefore a relatively limited share of total production, indicating potential for expanded commercial sourcing, packhouses, cold storage, quality control and logistics. Further growth will depend on connecting suitable fruit with buyers while maintaining export standards throughout the supply chain.
The investment campaign forms part of Tanzania’s broader plan to transform agriculture into a US$100 billion sector under its Agriculture Master Plan 2050. Former Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda, who chairs the Presidential Food and Agriculture Advisory Council, also highlighted technology and mechanisation as sources of employment and sector development. The production and trade figures provide a base for new projects, but execution will depend on infrastructure, processing economics and dependable routes to market.
