SEVEN major Brazilian companies dealing with agriculture have shown interest to invest in the country.
This was said by the Acting Executive Director of Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC), Mr Raymond Mbilinyi in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.
"We are happy today to witness the results of President Jakaya Kikwete's tour of Brazil early this year," he said. This follows a visit by representatives from Brazilian to Tanzania over the weekend.
During his visit in Brazil in April, President Kikwete invited big companies to invest in the agriculture sector. Explaining further on the visit by the eleven-man strong delegation, Mr Mbilinyi said that the Brazilians came to get first hand information on the country's potentials especially in the agriculture sector.
The companies produce mainly soya, sugarcane, corn and cotton. Mr Mbilinyi said that the TIC highlighted to the visitors about the opportunities in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT).
"We told them about the benefits and incentives they can get once they invest in Tanzania," he said. The TIC chief said that Chief Executive Officer of UPL Group who coordinated the visit, Mr Jai Shroff said Tanzania is a focus country for the Grow Africa Project which is a G8 initiative.
The initiative seeks to enable Africa self sufficient in agriculture and food production. Apart from bringing high tech agriculture to Africa, the initiative also targets to train small holder farmer on the modern agricultural practice.
On her part, the Deputy Executive Director of SAGCOT, Ms Jenipher Baain expressed her gratitude on the visit of the Brazilian companies to Tanzania. "I am very happy to this visit.
It explains on the type of investors we would like to attract and work with," she said, adding that they are ready to do business in agriculture and take investors very seriously. Apart from Tanzania, the delegation will also visit Mozambique, Southern Sudan and Ethiopia.
via Tanzania Daily News
