The Biharamulo district intends to transform itself into a prosperous hub for agriculture, commerce, transport, tourism, mining, regional trade, and economic development in North West Tanzania. The district plans to build an outward looking competitive and inclusive economy through increasing quality and quantity of the output and market access for its existing and potential productive sectors.
The objective of this profile is to provide information that will guide investment decisions in Biharamulo district, entice and attract investors to exploit investment potentials present in the district to augment inclusive economic growth and development and ensure a decent employment and life to all.
Specifically this profile provides: (a) Investment opportunities for establishment of environmental friendly and competitive production projects that may create decent employment, increase enterprise and individual incomes and purchasing power, and stimulate an inclusive and sustainable growth in Biharamulo District; and (b) Technical, institutional, and policy challenges that need to be addressed to improve the investment climate in Biharamulo District.
The investment priorities were identified and documented by using intensive stakeholder engagement and participatory approach. It included group deliberations and brainstorming carried out through focus group discussions and individual key stakeholder interviews.
The major investment priorities and technical, institutional, and policy issues that need to be addressed to attract and improve the investment climate in Biharamulo District are presented below.
The major investment opportunities
The major investment opportunities in Biharamulo district, in the descending order, are:
Detailed land mapping surveys for demarcation of land and formulation of land use plans (Mpango Ardhi) to accommodate establishment of human settlements, crop cultivation, livestock keeping/grazing (depending on available land in the village but 5 Ha maximum per pastoralist), agro-processing, forestry, water supply and sanitation management, power supply, value addition clusters for selected commodities in the district.
Agribusiness:
Production of crops:
Commercial, smart and climate resilient crop production of:
-Food/cash crops: cassava, paddy, maize, bananas (commercial and alcohol
producing varieties), millet and pulses;
-Cash and export crops (including their products and by-products): sunflower, groundnuts, and horticultural products on 5 to 50 Ha farms.
-Starting with attracting, incentivizing, and equipping farmer groups’ schemes (vikundi).
Supply of quality and certified seeds, fertilizers, and pest and diseases control at village level (agro-dealers/ stockists and crop farming services providers are inadequate);
Value addition and long-term quality warehousing (500-5,000 ton facilities).
Note: Biharamulo District produces about 200,000-300,000 tons of cassava, of which most is exported to Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, and Uganda where it is processed in flour and related secondary products.
Livestock industry:
The potential investment opportunities in the livestock industry are:
Marketing infrastructure - Livestock markets (minada) for 200-300 animals in Lusahunga, Nyarubungo, and Nyakahura. In Biharamulo, a large Ankole bull sells between TZS 1-2 million, while a normal cow sells between TZS 300,000 and 400,000. Although the Biharamulo District (BD) livestock markets are among the lucrative markets in Tanzania, but still the brokers buy the animals, transport, and sell them to other markets such as Pugu and in Comoro and Kenya.
Investments in veterinary services, especially Veterinary Clinics for screening of animals, treatment and vaccination;
Investing in dipping and veterinary services in the remote pastoral lands;
Supply of medicine and vaccine for Contagious Bovine Pleural (CBPP, Pneumonia), Foot and Mouth Diseases (FMD), Black Quarter (BQ), Newcastle disease, Anthrax, Black-quarter, Tick Borne diseases, and Brucellosis;
Livestock laboratories for diseases management and livestock products quality and safety management;
Micro ranches (2-10 Ha);
A modern abattoir and meat processing plant with cold storage with a capacity of 0.5-2 tons per day to produce quality and safe meat and meat products for local consumption and trade;
A center for running Livestock Identification, Traceability System (LITS) and eco-labeling system and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures for compliance to standards in internal and international markets;
Production of feed and feed supplements;
Health
Biharamulo district has 80 villages but only 22 dispensaries and only 5 ward heath centers among 17 wards. Sometimes people with National Health Insurance have to travel 30-35 kilometers to the nearest heath facility. This has been earmarked as among the top three areas that need immediate investments (see Table 3.1 below). The investment opportunities are:
One referral hospital;
Specialized clinics, including pediatrics and child health, women health, communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, family planning, indigenous health practices, and rehabilitation clinics.
School for training of medical personnel and midwifes] wakunga.
Processing and manufacturing plants:
Manufacturing of high quality cassava flour; cassava confectionaries such as snacks and biscuits; flakes, pellets, chips, cubes and flours to feed livestock; cassava starch; and glucose, caramel and ethanol which are an essential commodities in many industries from chemical, pharmaceuticals to food, biofuel, and cosmetic industries;
Processing of paddy, maize, pulses, sunflower, groundnuts, bananas, and millet;
Small to medium meat and dairy products producing plants (beginning with collection, processing, packaging, and cold storage of 500-1000 L milk/day processing capacity);
Production of ethanol;
Construction of a hides and skin collection and processing plant (currently raw hides are exported to Uganda and Kenya);
Production of leather products.
Handling and processing of by-products of slaughtered animals: bones, hooves, horns, blood, bristles, feathers, hair and fur for human food, medicinal, pharmaceuticals, leather goods, sports, textiles, and garments goods, and animal feeds.
Education:
The following investment opportunities exist in the education system of Biharamulo District:
Investments in one Technical and industrial technology vocational training center (300-400 students);
One agriculture and livestock training center (200-300 students),
Two polytechnics with a capacity of 500-800 students.
60 Primary schools, 20 secondary schools, and 11 high schools
Training center for business education
Tourism:
Investing in historical sites, culture/eco-tourism (since some historical sites and records are missing, there is a need for the Biharamulo District Council to make efforts to identify them, update records, and market them aggressively);
Development and conservation of hunting blocks;
Technical and physical infrastructure for upgrading and developing Burigi game reserve;
Development of the hospitality industry, including camping sites;
Sustainable power supply to Burigi Game Reserve;
Development and conservation of forest reserves.
Beekeeping:
Beekeeping is a potential economic activity for employment and income generation in Biharamulo district. There is potential of beekeeping investment because of availability of forest (natural and reserved forests). The investment opportunities in beekeeping are:
Investments in beekeeping for production of honey, wax and other allied products ;
Provision of beekeeping services: modern production, processing and packaging technologies and practices e.g. production of modern beehives; equipment and facilities for honey collection, processing and wax production;
Capacity building services in modern beekeeping, extension services, research services, and marketing support to expand cost-effective production and marketing of safe and high quality bee products.
Forest products:
Investments in sustainable private forests for trees for manufacturing of furniture, timber for construction and trade, firewood, and charcoal.
Investments in private forests and Non-State Actors (NSAs) forests using Biharamulo soil compatible, fast growing, climate resilient, and low-water and nutrient requiring trees.
Investments and expansion of village forests and Biharamulo Districts Council’s forests through Public Private Partnership (PPP).
Aquaculture: Promote fish farming as an alternative source for supply of fish, income generation, for enhancing food and nutrition security in Nyamahanga.
Environmental management: Investment in facilities for treatment and recycling of municipal and industrial waste water and solid waste
Marketing infrastructure: A modern market in Lusahunga.
Water supply:
Investments in facilities and technologies to expand access to clean and safe water to people for domestic use, sanitation and hygiene and for productive sectors (more than 50 L per day).
Power supply : Electric power to about 50-60 MW (with Rural Energy Agency-REA and Tanzania Electric Supply Company-TANESCO facilitation) and encourage private supplementary sources using efficient, clean off-grid Hybrid Power Systems, comprising of traditional sources and renewable energy systems, such as Biogas, Solar Photovoltaic, Village Power Industrial Technology, Micro-Hydro, and Mini-Grids, taking advantage of Biharamulo’s topography.
Business services: Financial and technical support services, such as livestock and crop insurance, and construction of infrastructure for organized small businesses (machinga), around the TANROADS weigh bridges, which are in the design phase.
Real estate: Construction of houses, beginning with houses for Government staff such as teachers, migrating workers, and hostels for students. This will need to design a Biharamulo’s Master Plan.
Mechanization and technology center: For sale, rental, maintenance of agricultural related equipment.
Design, planning, and construction of the stand for buses and a parking lot cargo transportation fleets in Nyakanazi (50-80 Ha).
