THE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Dr. Doto Biteko, has commended Tanzanian farmers for their prolific agricultural output, which has significantly contributed to the nation's food security and boosted the agricultural sector's substantial impact on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Dr. Biteko extended his praise today, July 5, 2025, in Dodoma, while closing the culmination of the World Cooperative Day celebrations.

"Today, the agricultural sector has a major contribution to our country's economy; we're talking about a GDP contribution of 26 percent. We're talking about crops that provide food security for our nation. While other countries struggle to secure food, our people are assured of access to food in the markets because farmers have been empowered to engage in agricultural trade," Dr. Biteko stated.

He highlighted that statistics indicate a continuous improvement in the performance of cooperative societies, with a notable increase in export sales. In the 2024/2025 financial year, a total of 1,084 cooperative societies directly exported coffee and tobacco, generating USD 344.8 million. This marks an increase of USD 19.3 million compared to the USD 325.5 million recorded in 2023/2024.

Dr. Biteko further elaborated that the number of cooperative societies receiving clean audit reports from the Cooperative Audit and Supervision Corporation (COASCO) has risen significantly, from 339 societies in 2021/2022 to 631 societies in 2023/2024, an 86.13 percent increase (292 societies). Conversely, societies with unsatisfactory audit reports decreased from 1,198 in 2021/2022 to 263 in 2023/2024, representing a 78 percent reduction (935 societies).

He urged cooperatives to empower women by implementing various strategies to increase the number of women's cooperative societies beyond the current 50.

Addressing Challenges and Sustaining Growth

Despite these successes in the agricultural sector, Dr. Biteko instructed the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture to address critical issues concerning farmer crop prices, agricultural inputs, and basic farmer needs to ensure continued productive farming.

"The sixth phase government recognises that cooperatives are a vital tool for citizens to unite their efforts and advance economically. Therefore, the government will continue to support all endeavors aimed at ensuring cooperative societies progress economically and socially," Dr. Biteko emphasised.

He added that cooperative societies have made substantial contributions to building the nation's economy, which is why President   Samia Suluhu Hassan has given significant impetus to the agricultural sector. He also commended the minister for Agriculture,   Hussein Bashe, for ensuring the sector fulfills President Samia's vision of economically uplifting farmers and boosting the national economy.

Furthermore, Dr. Biteko praised Dr. Benson Ndiege, Registrar and CEO of the Cooperative Development Commission, for advocating for farmers and improving the operational performance of cooperative societies. He called on these societies to establish processing factories for agricultural produce to add value to goods and expand market reach.

Government Support and Future Outlook

In response, Hussein Bashe, Minister for Agriculture, thanked President H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan for her diverse efforts in improving the agricultural sector, including increasing the Ministry of Agriculture's budget, providing crop subsidies, and establishing various institutions like COPRA aimed at defending farmers' interests.

Minister Bashe also highlighted that the implementation of government projects in rural areas, such as nationwide rural electrification and road networks, stimulates rural development and provides opportunities for farmers to establish processing machinery, such as for sunflower oil, and transport their produce.

Dodoma Regional Commissioner,  Rosemary Senyamule, stated that Dodoma now has 244 cooperative societies and that citizens have recognized their importance, particularly their seventh goal of community collaboration.

Providing a three-year report on the state of cooperative societies in Tanzania from 2022/23 to 2024/25, Dr. Benson Ndiege, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, listed several achievements, including the establishment of a Cooperative Bank in four regions across the country.

Mr. Tito Haule, Chairman of the Tanzania Federation of Cooperatives (TFC), noted that the 2025 celebrations mark the 102nd anniversary of World Cooperative Day, with Tanzanian cooperators joining stakeholders globally.

Mr. Haule outlined some of the 2025 Cooperative Year objectives, including providing opportunities for cooperative societies to showcase their products to the community, informing the public about the cooperatives' contributions, and advocating for supportive policies and practices.

Additionally, he cited some successes of cooperative societies in the country, including an increase in membership from 6.9 million in 2021/22 to 10 million, an increase in permanent and contractual employment for youth, and a contribution to government tax revenue of up to TZS 9.5 billion in 2020/22 and TZS 12.5 billion in 2023.

He also thanked the government for injecting TZS 5 billion capital into the Cooperative Bank and strengthening cooperative societies by increasing ICT adoption.