A $77.4 million project signed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania will bring help to 260,000 rural households facing the impacts of climate change. The Agriculture and Fisheries Development Program (AFDP) will provide the means for rural people to boost productivity, improve food security and nutrition, and increase their resilience.

As part of the project and to increase protein intake and promote healthy diets in the participating rural households, AFDP will help increase the capacity of aquaculture development centers to produce 25 million tilapia fingerlings and 10 million catfish. This will increase the supply and bring down the prices of fish in the local market. The project will also develop kitchen gardens for vegetables and provide training for households on nutrition.

Poverty is higher in rural areas, with 31% of the population living below the poverty line, and depending on livestock, food crop production and fisheries for their livelihood. At a time when the COVID-19 crisis could push another 500,000 Tanzanians into poverty, AFDP will target small-scale farmers, small and medium seed producers, artisanal fishers, processors, aquafarmers, seaweed farmers and others in 41 districts in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. Half the beneficiaries will be women and 30% will be youth.

Participants of the project will be able to access affordable financial services from the Smallholder Credit Guarantee Scheme initially funded by IFAD through Marketing Infrastructure, Value Addition and Rural Finance Support Program (MIVARF).