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FAO Convenes 3rd STREPHIT Steering Committee Meeting in Dodoma

Members of the STREPHIT Steering Committee pose for a group photo shortly after the conclusion of the 3rd Steering Committee meeting in Dodoma.

Dodoma, 29 May 2025 – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened the 3rd Steering Committee meeting of the “Strengthening Plant Health Services for Enhanced Food Safety” project (STREPHIT) in Dodoma. The high-level session was chaired by Dr. Stephen Nindi, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, and brought together key stakeholders from government, development partners, and FAO.

The European Union Delegation to Tanzania was represented by Mr. Lamine Diallo, Head of Natural Resources, alongside Mr. Mathew Mpanda,  and the Ministry of Finance was represented by Ms Edda Manyanda. The meeting was also attended by Prof. Joseph Ndunguru, Director General of the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA), and the FAO team led by Dr. Nyabenyi Tipo, FAO Representative in Tanzania (FAOR), and Dr. Monday Ahonsi, Technical Advisor for the STREPHIT project.

The Steering Committee reviewed project milestones, discussed ongoing challenges, and proposed solutions aimed at strengthening Tanzania’s plant health systems to ensure food safety and agricultural resilience. A key topic of discussion was the rehabilitation of plant health laboratories across the country, including newly proposed mini labs at key border posts in Sirari, Mtukula, and Rusumo. The session also addressed the transition from the ATMIS system to the new government-led eKilimo platform and its implications for the project’s digital monitoring components.

Stakeholders commended the progress made so far, particularly the increased engagement in Zanzibar, and reiterated the need for sustainable strategies to ensure long-term impact. The EU Delegation announced plans to launch a mid-term review of the project, while also reaffirming its commitment to agricultural value chains, including cashew, coffee, and cotton, in alignment with Tanzania’s development priorities.

All five recommendations presented by the project’s Technical Working Group were approved by the Steering Committee. Members emphasized the importance of organizing a stakeholder engagement workshop to identify sustainability gaps—an event that the EU has expressed interest in attending as observers ahead of the mid-term review.

Closing remarks were delivered by Dr. Nyabenyi Tipo, who thanked the Ministry of Agriculture, the EU Delegation, TPHPA, and the FAO team for their continued collaboration and commitment to enhancing plant health systems in Tanzania.

The STREPHIT project is a joint initiative between FAO, the Government of Tanzania, and the European Union aimed at building resilient, science-based plant health services to improve food safety, protect livelihoods, and support agricultural trade.