Tanzania is on the cusp of a significant step aimed at revolutionizing its agricultural sector with the imminent introduction of a new international standard guideline, ISO 18716.

This initiative is designed to assess and elevate the quality of operations for smallholder farmer groups, as well as medium and large-scale farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs across the nation. The overarching goal is to foster professionalism and ensure long-term sustainability within their agricultural organizations, ultimately empowering them for greater success.

The announcement was made last week by Ikunda Terry, the Executive Director of the Agricultural Non-State Actors Forum (ANSAF), during ANSAF’s 15th Anniversary and 12th Annual General Meeting (AGM). 

The event, held in the Dar es Salaam Region under the theme 'Driving Change with Smallholder Producers,' served as a crucial platform for stakeholders in the agriculture sector to converge, exchange vital insights, share experiences, hone skills, and explore innovative solutions aimed at lifting farmers out of poverty. The AGM also marked a significant milestone – 15 years of ANSAF championing farmers' voices towards inclusive and resilient food systems.

The gathering brought together a diverse array of participants, including farmers themselves, government officials, non-state actors, non-governmental organizations, and representatives from financial institutions, spanning twenty regions throughout Tanzania.

Terry highlighted the collaborative effort behind this pivotal development, noting that the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), ANSAF, and various stakeholders have been working diligently to develop the ISO 18716 quality standard guideline. This standard is specifically tailored for farmers' and entrepreneurs' organizations engaged in the agribusiness sector, with the clear objective of enabling these groups to meet the stringent requirements of both local and international markets, operate with enhanced professionalism, and achieve lasting sustainability.

Excitement rippled through the audience as Mr. Terry revealed that the quality standard is in its final stages of completion and will encompass agricultural products, the fishing industry, and livestock. The official launch is eagerly anticipated next week, on May 21st.

Furthermore, this quality standard is poised to become a valuable tool for service providers in the sector. It will facilitate the development of effective training programs for farmer groups and agribusiness entrepreneurs, enabling them to deliver crucial capacity-building initiatives in areas such as governance, financial management, business strategy, and documentation. "By implementing this standard, these groups will be empowered to operate more efficiently, transparently, and sustainably over the long term,” Terry emphasized.

The rationale behind this ambitious undertaking, Terry explained, was rooted in the observation that a significant percentage of farmers and agribusiness operators were struggling to achieve substantial growth, largely due to a lack of expertise in managing their entities with a robust business-oriented approach. He pointed out that many groups lacked professional management, leading to stagnation and, in some cases, complete collapse. 

The new ISO standard has been meticulously developed to align with Tanzania's specific procedures and unique environment, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness in meeting local standards. "This will be the first quality standard in Tanzania for assessing the quality or best standards of farmer and entrepreneur groups involved in the agri-business sector," he affirmed.

The benefits of adhering to this standard are manifold, promising to equip beneficiaries with essential skills in business development, governance, financial management, business management, documentation, and the maintenance of high operational standards within their groups.

Terry also announced another significant development: ANSAF, in collaboration with the National Economic Empowerment Council (NEEC), has successfully prepared a business development services guideline for service providers across the country. This guideline, also scheduled for launch on May 21st, will focus on all aspects of business development support, including crucial training in business management, financial management, and governance. To ensure quality and uniformity, all business service providers will be required to follow this guideline, with NEEC providing oversight. Terry urged all service providers to register with NEEC through their newly launched online platform.

"To further strengthen the support system," Mr. Terry stated, "ANSAF has established the Agribusiness Market Ecosystem Alliance (AMEA) to build the capacity of smallholder farmer groups and entrepreneurs to adhere to the quality standards of ISO 18716 and follow the specific guidelines overseen by NEEC.”

Adding her voice to the discourse, Mariam Ditopile, the Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, Industry, and Trade, underscored the importance of focusing on increasing productivity rather than simply expanding farmland. She stressed the need for comprehensive support for farmers to enhance their yields and reap greater benefits from their agricultural endeavors. 

Ditopile also raised concerns about the timing of tax collection, urging the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and local government authorities to prioritize creating a conducive operating environment for farmers before aggressively pursuing taxes during harvest seasons. She called upon NGOs and agricultural organizations to maintain their focus on smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of the sector and are often the most vulnerable during challenging times like droughts. "We need to step out of our air-conditioned offices and go to the farms," she urged. "We want to see tangible agricultural projects in various regions."

Ditopile lauded the government for its significant budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector and praised the Ministry for providing vital seed and fertilizer subsidies to small-scale farmers, initiatives that promise to facilitate the transition of agricultural workers from the informal to the formal sector.

The impending introduction of ISO 18716 and the business development services guideline are being hailed as crucial steps towards a more professional, sustainable, and prosperous future for Tanzania's agricultural sector, with smallholder farmers poised to be significant beneficiaries.