The Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) has taken 14 of its customers to Japan to participate in J-AGRI Tokyo, as part of the agricultural tailor-made bank’s efforts to expose its customers to modern agricultural technologies.
The agro-tech event is one of Asia’s major exhibitions showcasing technology and innovation in the agricultural sector.
The development reflects the ambitious focus by the financial institution to assist local farmers in increasing production and productivity in crop cultivation and processing, thus contributing to strengthening food security.
The initiative, among others, aims at connecting the customers with manufacturers and suppliers of agricultural equipment and machinery, enabling them to establish business relationships that could help improve productivity, efficiency and competitiveness in their agricultural activities in Tanzania.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam during the bank’s Customer Service Week celebrations held under the theme “The Extra Mile,” TADB Managing Director, Mr Frank Nyabundege, said the programme would give the customers an opportunity to learn about the use of technology in agriculture and establish business networks.
“We are taking them to Japan to learn, particularly about the use of technology, as well as to establish business networks. They will also visit large-scale farmers to see how they operate and will visit JICA, which initiated the project,” Nyabundege said.
One of the TADB customers who benefited from the visit, Kamal Simba, a resident of Zanzibar, thanked the government and the bank for providing them with the opportunity to learn how technology is applied in agriculture in Japan.
He said the knowledge and experience to be acquired from the visit would help them improve their operations and contribute to the country’s economic growth through the agricultural sector.
“We sincerely thank TADB for giving us this opportunity. It is a great privilege for us to travel to Japan, learn and see first-hand the technologies being used in agriculture. We are going with a strong desire to learn and expect to return with knowledge and experience that will help us improve our businesses,” Simba said.
“Indeed, we see this as part of the ‘Extra Mile’ that TADB has gone for its customers,” he added.
Meanwhile, TADB has set aside funds to provide loans to customers operating across the agricultural value chain, with the aim of strengthening their capacity in various areas, including warehouse construction, processing and marketing of agricultural produce.
The bank has also continued to provide its customers with opportunities to learn and exchange experiences by taking them to various parts of Tanzania to interact with farmers and other stakeholders who are performing well in the agricultural sector.
More than 830 TADB customers have so far benefited from the initiative, which is aimed at enhancing their knowledge, efficiency and productivity in agricultural activities.