Maize (corn) is the most important food crop in Tanzania, cultivated on over 45% of total arable land and generating close to 50% of rural cash income, at an average of 100 USD per maize producing household in 2018 (FAOSTAT, 2019). Maize production in the country is mostly under low-input rain-fed conditions. Use of simple farm equipment, recycled seeds, minimal use of agrochemicals and minimal weeding is the most common technological package. The result is frequent crop failure.
Maize is the staple food for the majority of Tanzanians. Most maize is produced by small-scale farmers and is usually grown under low input, rain-fed conditions. It is both subsistence and a cash crop. The maize value chain is fragmented and poorly coordinated. There are many layers and inefficient connections between producers and consumers. Trust, reliable information systems and the benefits of economies of scale are not well established. The result is considerable uncertainty, which discourages investment by both resource-poor, risk-averse small-scale farmers and commercial investors. We are on a mission to make a million billionaires through agribusiness in Tanzania by 20235.