As part of its continued commitment to support youth led agribusiness, “Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture”,(YEFFA) Project funded by Mastercard Foundation implemented in Tanzania by AGRA, TAPBDS as a mechanization lead has partnered with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and IMARA TECH to promote the adoption of post-harvest grain processing technologies (formerly threshing technologies) in Tanzania.
This strategic collaboration seeks to expand mechanization through the creation of youth and women-led micro-enterprises centered on the operation, maintenance, and sales of multi-crop threshers (MCTs). The goal: create employment and income opportunities while improving smallholder productivity.
As part of the initiative, CIAT subsidizes 50% of the MCT cost, with youth entrepreneurs covering the balance. TAPBDS, through the YEFFA Project, has committed to facilitating the sale of 80 units as part of this effort. To date, 7 MCTs have been sold and delivered and 15 more are fully paid and awaiting delivery
The success has been driven by TAPBDS field teams working actively in Kigoma, Kagera, Mbeya, Songwe, Katavi, Iringa, Njombe, Ruvuma, Morogoro, Dodoma, and Singida.
TAPBDS’s Role in the Partnership:
Identifying and mobilizing youth, with a strong focus on young women, interested in delivering grain processing services, facilitating communication and technical support between youth entrepreneurs and IMARA TECH, including payment processes and training, coordinating community demonstrations to build awareness and show the business potential of MCT operations.
By embedding this initiative within the YEFFA Project framework, TAPBDS is reinforcing its mission to empower youth, promote gender inclusion, and drive sustainable agricultural transformation through accessible mechanization.