10 Jun

Jiajiri business dialogue and opening of new satellite office in Mbeya

Jiajiri Business Dialogue is an event that brings together youth and shares with them potential business opportunities at their disposal and links them to other actors in the ecosystem that supports youth agripreneurs.

It was an event that took place at MATI Uyole Mbeya where SUGECO made the official launching of the new SUGECO Satellite office in Southern highlands based in MATI Uyole and bringing together youth and agripreneurs to advance agribusiness opportunities and incubation services in their areas.

The event brought together over 412 youth from MATI’s colleges and Universities present in Southern Highlands which includes MATI Uyole, Igurusi, Inyala, and Mbalizi Polytechnic and Universities like MUST and Mzumbe Universities Mbeya campus. It also includes youth agripreneurs from Songwe, Katavi and Mbeya mobilized by event partners such as HELVETAS under KIBOWAVI Projects, Rikolto Tanzania, and Heifer International. 

The Guest of honor, Mr. Fredrick John Batakanwa who is the principal of  MATI Inyala, represented the Director of Training and Extension Services at the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Leonard Mafuru, and thanked and congratulated SUGECO on extending our services to the Southern Highlands by opening a satellite office at MATI Uyole in Mbeya and explained the agribusiness opportunities available in the southern highlands.

 SUGECO Director Mr. Revocatus Kimario spoke with the participants and said that SUGECO has now expanded our services to the southern highlands. He addressed the opportunity in agribusiness practice, connecting youth with different agricultural development stakeholders and financial institutions. Also through projects that enhance youth skills and provide them with financial information and knowledge in agribusiness. He added that SUGECO in collaboration with MATI Uyole will provide training, mindset transformation, incubation, and both local and international Internships. He addresses that opportunity cannot find youth at home so they should engage themselves in this kind of social gathering. He was quoted saying:

“For instance today we have the NMB team who provide information and assistance in agricultural financing, Insurance agencies with information on crops and harvest insurance, and the Government of Tanzania to provide solutions of land. “ He insisted that farmers should produce crops after gathering market information".

The youth had a chance to hear testimony from Hadija Jabir, the founder, and director of GBRI Business Solutions Limited who succeeded in the export of horticultural fresh produce from Tanzania to Europe. She shared her story on how she started the business, how she manages the business, challenges they encounter in the industry, marketing opportunities, partners they're engaging with, and how the business has provided employment opportunities and raised the standard of living in the community.

The participants were provided with an opportunity to hear from Mr. Nemes Josephat Mchomvu, a cattle businessman around the Sai area in the Mbeya region. Mr. Mchomvu spoke about how he started the business from being the caretaker of the cattle 20 years ago, to ownership.

The youth learned how Mr. Mchomvu grew his business from 3 heads of cattle to more than 50 and he can now produce up to 150 liters of milk per day. Participants were made aware of the challenges affecting cattle keeping and how Mr. Mchomvu is combating those challenges for the sustainability of his dairy business through a question and answer session. 

Participants had a chance to showcase their products and innovations which are relevant to the Tanzania agricultural environment and how they impact the whole value chain through production.