The Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA) Director General, Irene Mlola, has challenged staff to translate knowledge, plans and institutional reforms into tangible benefits for farmers, as the authority seeks to strengthen markets, improve agricultural trading systems and enhance accountability.
Coast Region. The Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA) has challenged its employees to focus on delivering measurable results, saying the success of its three years of existence should be reflected in farmers’ livelihoods, improved market access and more efficient agricultural trade.
COPRA Director General Irene Mlola said the authority must move beyond establishing systems and developing strategies to demonstrate how its work is transforming the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the conclusion of a three-day staff meeting held in Kibaha, Coast Region, from October 26 to 28, 2026, she urged employees to apply the knowledge gained during the meeting to improve service delivery and fulfil the authority’s mandate.
“I firmly believe that, as we move forward, we should maintain this same momentum and commitment in fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to us,” she said.
Ms Mlola stressed that every employee had a responsibility to demonstrate the difference COPRA was making in the agricultural sector, calling for stronger collaboration with stakeholders and effective enforcement of laws and regulations governing agricultural produce trade.
“Through our work, people should see the difference COPRA is making. Wherever you are, remember that you are an important ambassador for the agricultural sector. You must ensure that we successfully deliver on the responsibilities entrusted to us,” she said.
The meeting formed part of activities marking COPRA’s third anniversary since its establishment in 2023. It provided an opportunity for the authority to review progress, assess outstanding challenges and outline strategies for improving productivity and efficiency in the agricultural produce sector.
Ms Mlola said COPRA was proud of its professional workforce, which she described as an important resource in advancing the Government’s agricultural development agenda.
“COPRA has a team of qualified and competent employees who can help deliver President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s goals of strengthening the agricultural sector in the country,” she said.
The Director General of the Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA), Irene Mlola, speaks during the closing session of the authority’s three-day staff meeting in Kibaha, Coast Region, on October 28, 2026.
Expanding markets and improving trade systems
One of the notable developments highlighted during the meeting was the opening of 15 international markets for Tanzanian agricultural produce, including India and China, creating additional opportunities for farmers and traders.
Speaking at the meeting, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Gerald Mweli, said COPRA had an important role in strengthening agricultural trading systems and ensuring farmers accessed competitive markets where they could obtain better returns.
He encouraged farmers and other capable agricultural players to explore opportunities for exporting produce directly rather than relying entirely on intermediaries.
“We are also encouraging those with the capacity to grow and sell their produce directly to international markets. We have already opened 15 markets in different countries, including India and China,” he said.
Mr Mweli cited banana exports to South Africa, avocado exports reaching 30,000 tonnes and more than 15,000 tonnes of maize sold as examples of emerging opportunities in agricultural trade.
However, he said expanding markets alone would not be sufficient unless farmers were supported to increase production and meet market demand.
He stressed the importance of ensuring farmers received agricultural inputs, particularly fertilisers and quality seeds, on time to enable them to maximise production.
“Farmers work very hard. Tanzanians are not lazy; they simply need support to access fertilisers and seeds on time so they can increase production,” he said.
Mr Mweli further challenged COPRA to strengthen its presence in farming communities, arguing that agricultural services should reach producers in their areas rather than having officials concentrate on office-based operations.
Explaining how the authority was using technology to improve service delivery, Ms Mlola said COPRA had introduced digital systems, including the COPRA Management Information System (COPRA MIS).
The system supports warehouse registration, monitoring of produce quality and tracking of stocks held in registered warehouses.
She said the digital platform was intended to improve access to reliable information and strengthen coordination of agricultural trade across the value chain.
Ms Mlola also explained that COPRA monitored market prices to help protect farmers from selling their produce at significantly lower prices.
“We monitor market prices, and once we establish the prevailing market price, we ensure that the auction price reaches at least 70 per cent of that price to protect the value of farmers’ produce,” she said.
Building regulatory systems and accountability
COPRA Board Chairman Professor Sifuni Mchome said much of the authority’s initial work involved establishing institutional systems, operational guidelines, regulations and procedures that were not in place when it began implementing its mandate.
He said the board’s first priority was to create an institutional foundation that would enable the authority to perform its regulatory responsibilities effectively.
“When we started, we did not have established procedures and systems. The first thing we did as a board was to develop systems, guidelines, regulations and procedures that would enable the authority to function effectively,” he said.
Professor Mchome said the board had made 77 decisions aimed at building and developing the institution, of which 65 had been implemented.
“The board’s responsibility is to make decisions. Throughout this period, we have made 77 decisions aimed at building and developing this institution, and 65 of them have been implemented,” he said.
He explained that COPRA’s responsibilities extended across the entire agricultural produce value chain, from production at farm level to the availability of products in markets.
According to him, effective coordination among farmers, processors, traders and consumers was essential to strengthening the country’s food security systems.
“The authority is responsible for overseeing the entire agricultural produce system, from the farm to the market. That is where the food security system is built,” he said.
However, Professor Mchome acknowledged that more work was needed to develop commodity-specific guidelines and regulations to ensure agricultural products met the quality requirements of different markets.
He said COPRA currently had approximately 47 regulations covering different aspects of its operations, but additional guidelines were needed to address the specific requirements of individual crops.
“At the moment, we have approximately 47 regulations covering different areas. However, when you assess them against the requirements of individual crops, it becomes clear that more guidelines are still needed,” he said.
He also identified competition for agricultural land from industrial and residential development as an emerging challenge, citing declining coconut-growing areas in the Coast Region.
Professor Mchome warned that continued conversion of agricultural land could threaten the future availability of some crops if appropriate measures were not taken.
“Industrial and residential development is reducing the land available for agriculture. For example, coconut-producing areas in the Coast Region are declining because of these activities. In the coming years, coconut production in this area could become increasingly scarce,” he said.
COPRA targets $6 billion in agricultural exports
As part of its efforts to expand the sector, COPRA has developed a 2026/27 strategic plan targeting an increase in the value of agricultural produce exports from $1.2 billion to $6 billion by 2030.
COPRA Acting Director of Corporate Services Martin Sapanjo said the target would be pursued through increased production, improved packaging, expanded market access and efforts to address challenges relating to financing, information and digital systems.
He said the authority had drawn lessons from countries such as South Africa, whose agricultural trade systems offered useful experiences in developing competitive markets.
“In developing this strategic plan, we learned from our counterparts in South Africa, who have made significant progress. We have therefore identified key priorities that will guide us towards achieving our targets,” he said.
Mr Sapanjo said the strategy was built around five pillars: market competitiveness and innovation, productive agriculture, digitalisation, operational efficiency and the creation of an enabling environment.
“Our goal is to lead Tanzania’s economic transformation towards commercial, inclusive and equitable food systems that support shared growth,” he said.
He added that COPRA would introduce performance targets for individual offices, departments and employees to strengthen accountability and ensure the implementation of its strategic priorities.
The authority also outlined plans to improve agricultural production through the distribution of quality seeds, demonstration farms and capacity-building programmes for farmers.
Among the initiatives highlighted was training on good agricultural practices, which had reached 2,907 farmers in 43 wards across 10 local government authorities in six regions.
Ms Mlola said achieving the authority’s objectives would require sustained collaboration with local government authorities and other agricultural stakeholders.
She urged employees to strengthen partnerships with district and regional authorities to ensure regulations were effectively implemented and farmers received the services they needed.
“At this meeting, we have stakeholders from different local government authorities with whom we work. We should continue expanding our collaboration to ensure that we effectively supervise and enforce our responsibilities in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the sector,” she said.
She emphasised that the next phase of COPRA’s development should focus on turning the systems, regulations and strategies already established into measurable improvements for farmers and other players across the agricultural value chain.
“To achieve our objectives, we need innovation, integrity and commitment. I am not interested in processes; I want results,” Ms Mlola said.