Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) in collaboration with Stanbic Bank conducted the 2018 Agri-Finance Fair that took place between 6th and 7th of December at the Arusha International Conference Center (AICC). The fair attracted the different stakeholders such as financial institutions, agricultural input companies, farmers, processors and other value chain actors. The core objective of the fair was to link farmers with the financial institutions for the farmers to know the financial tailor-made products for them to grab and the vice-versa. In the opening remarks delivered by the Chairman of the Southern African Confederation of Agriculture Union (SACAU) Dr. Sinare Y. Sinare who was the guest of honor, he urged the farmers to use the presence of the financial institution in the fair so that they can understand the best loans for them to expand their undertakings. Dr. Sinare also thanked TAHA and Stanbic bank for bringing together key players who will help the development and growth of the horticulture sector. The 2018 Agri-Finance Fair was moved with the Swahili theme which says “UHAKIKA WA MITAJI ILI KUKUZA KILIMO BIASHARA KUELEKEA UCHUMI WA VIWANDA” linked different categories of institutions that offerings financial and agricultural inputs services companies to farmers. Photons, Stanbic Bank, NMB, PASS, TADB, Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) were among the key stakeholders who participated in the Agri-finance fair. TAHA used the opportunity to train farmers on basic financial literacy and entrepreneurship, the skills that are necessary to farmers in order for them to make good use of loans. More than 214 farmers were trained on financial literacy after attending the Fair, where TAHA in-collaboration with Stanbic bank had invited experts in the financial field to assist farmer and enable them to move forward in the industrial economy.
