DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's food self-sufficiency level has increased from 130 percent in the 2024/2025 agricultural season to 133 percent in the 2026/2027 season, reflecting continued improvement in domestic food production, an official said on Saturday.
Tanga Regional Commissioner Batilda Buriani announced the figures while briefing journalists ahead of national World Food Day celebrations scheduled for Oct. 16 in the northern coastal region of Tanga.
Buriani said that despite improved food availability, Tanzania continued to face nutritional challenges, including malnutrition and stunting among young children, prompting the government to pursue targeted interventions to improve dietary outcomes.
She said the celebrations would provide a platform for the government and stakeholders in agriculture, livestock and fisheries to showcase technologies and innovations aimed at increasing production and promoting healthier diets.
Theophord Ndunguru, acting assistant director for crop monitoring and food security at the Ministry of Agriculture, said the government was promoting biofortification through agricultural research institutions.
He explained that biofortification involves developing crop varieties with enhanced nutritional value to increase the supply of essential nutrients through food consumption.
Ndunguru added that the government was also encouraging industrial food fortification, which involves adding essential vitamins and minerals to processed foods, including maize flour, to combat malnutrition.
The two approaches are intended to improve nutritional outcomes and public health nationwide, he said. ■
