Training and mobilization in Arusha
Between 14.08.2025 and 28.08.2025 AGMARK conducted a focused trader capacitation program in Arusha under the CBTA project, mobilizing large numbers of grain traders from Mbauda market to attend practical workshops on standards, postharvest care and business advisory. The field team led by Sylvester Aura identified suitable venues and worked with local partners to ensure participation, and the turnout at Mbauda showed traders want reliable market information and better business practices. This activity builds on AGMARK regional work to strengthen cross-border grain trade and trader networks, work that was set out at the ESA project launch earlier in 2025. For rural producers and traders alike, structured training helps turn informal activity into documented, accountable trade, and Mbauda traders were keen to record volumes and values as part of that change.
Topics covered and trader concerns
Workshops covered grain standards and quality parameters for the ESA region, postharvest management, negotiation and contracting with traders and processors, use of market information tools like the COMESA food balance sheet and the Simplified Trade Regime. Trainers also led sessions on dispute resolution and how contracts can protect both buyers and sellers. Kenyan traders operating across borders have in some places earned a poor reputation for malpractice and this was a recurring concern among participants, so the training emphasized clear contracts and practical dispute mechanisms to rebuild trust. AGMARK staff noted reluctance by some traders to share business data during mobilization, and the field report recommends clear communication about data privacy and the project value to ease such fears.
Also Read: Namanga Youth Traders and Women Receive Grain Trade Training
Linking traders to smallholder farmers
A key outcome was stronger trader links to farmer organizations. With support from Farida, a long term partner with AGMARK, the team visited a farmer information centre supported by GIZ where ten farmer organisations were meeting. AGMARK collected names and membership details and invited representatives to the workshop, creating direct buyer seller connections that are essential for predictable supply and fair pricing. Strengthening these linkages is critical given Tanzania has over 22.4 million smallholder crop growers who form the backbone of domestic and export markets. Programs such as the Farm to Market Alliance show how farmer service centres can scale market access in northern Tanzania, and AGMARK’s local work in Arusha complements those broader efforts by turning contacts into contractual trade.
Documenting trade volumes and youth employment
The field team dedicated time to documenting volumes and value of grain traded and to recording employment created for youth during the trading and postharvest chain. Traders and anchor offtakers such as Mount Meru Group Ltd were visited and the team captured data on commodity flows, though some traders were hesitant to disclose figures. The project’s approach to data collection is informed by wider evidence that market support programs can increase access to financial services and repair market infrastructure, which in turn helps smallholders and young agrientrepreneurs commercialize production. AGMARK’s documentation work aligns with regional findings showing significant gains from coordinated market interventions and highlights the need for data privacy assurances to encourage full cooperation.
Also Read: Strengthening Cross Border Grain Trade in Tunduma Tanzania
Next steps and call to action
Recommendations from the field trip include liaising with local administration ahead of events to avoid delays, and routinely sharing the project value and data privacy protocols with traders to build trust. AGMARK will continue to capacitate traders in negotiation and contracting while linking them to farmer organisations to increase transparency in cross-border grain trade. Donors and partners who support farmer service centres and market information systems can amplify these gains, as demonstrated by initiatives that reach hundreds of thousands of smallholders and service centres in nearby regions. If you are a trader, farmer representative or partner interested in joining future workshops please contact AGMARK so we can scale these linkages and help more smallholder farmers Tanzania access profitable markets and youth find employment in the grain value chain.
