Tanzania is strengthening its cooperation with Indonesia to ramp up palm oil cultivation and increase the availability of cooking oil domestically.

The collaboration was discussed during a meeting between Tanzania’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Macocha Tembele, and leaders of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA).

Ambassador Tembele emphasized Tanzania’s commitment to expanding oil palm farming to reduce reliance on costly imports. “The government has made various efforts to enhance oil palm cultivation which we believe will decrease the reliance on foreign exchange used to import palm oil,” he said.

“We also look forward to cooperating with Indonesia in experience sharing and capacity building for our farmers and experts.”Dr. Dwi Asmono, Director of IPOA, assured Tanzania of Indonesia’s readiness to support capacity-building initiatives.

“We are ready to share experiences and provide training, including sponsoring master’s degree programs for Tanzanian experts,” he stated.The partnership is further reinforced by a Memorandum of Understanding signed following President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s visit to Indonesia last year.

A delegation from the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), led by Director General Dr. Thomas Bwana, is currently visiting Indonesia to learn from its advanced palm oil research and production practices.

This collaboration aims to boost Tanzania’s palm oil output, reduce import costs, and enhance local expertise in the sector.