21–23 April 2026, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: The East African Business Council participated in the validation process for the Regional Agri-Food Systems Investment Plan (RASIP 2026–2035), organized by the East African Community Secretariat in partnership with AGRA. The meeting brought together policymakers, agricultural scientists, and private sector leaders to finalize a roadmap aimed at eliminating food insecurity for the region’s 300 million people by the next decade.
The RASIP is an investment framework designed to harmonize agricultural standards, boost intra-regional trade, and climate-proof East Africa’s food systems. With agriculture contributing approximately 25% to the EAC’s combined GDP, the plan seeks to move the region from a net importer of food to a global agricultural powerhouse. Currently, the EAC spends an estimated $2.5 billion annually on importing food commodities like wheat and rice that could be grown locally.
The core of the 2026–2035 plan focuses on three pillars: infrastructure, innovation, and trade facilitation. A significant share of the proposed funding will be directed toward Agri-Industrial Parks located near border points. These parks will provide smallholder farmers with access to cold storage, processing facilities, and direct links to regional markets, helping reduce post-harvest losses, which currently stand at about 40% for perishable goods in the region.
RASIP will require about $15 billion over the next decade, financed through Partner States, development partners, and private sector. The proposed Regional Agriculture Risk Sharing Facility will de-risk lending, enabling banks to offer agribusiness loans at rates below 10%, compared to current averages of 15–20%.
Benefits for private sector
Once adopted by the Summit of the EAC Heads of State, RASIP 2026–2035 will offer significant opportunities for the private sector across the agricultural value chain. Agribusinesses will benefit from improved access to finance through lower-cost lending, enabling expansion in production, processing, and distribution. The development of Agri-Industrial Parks will create new investment opportunities in storage, logistics, agro-processing, and export-oriented manufacturing.
Harmonized standards and enhanced trade facilitation will reduce non-tariff barriers, enabling businesses to scale operations and access the EAC common market. In addition, the reduction in post-harvest losses will improve supply chain efficiency and profitability. For SMEs and smallholder-linked enterprises, the plan opens pathways for integration into formal value chains through aggregation, contract farming, and digital market platforms.
Key Targets of RASIP 2026–2035
- Reduction in post-harvest losses: from 40% to 15% by 2030
- Intra-regional trade in agri-products: 50% increase by 2035
- Investment target: $1.5 billion annually for 10 years
- Smallholder reach: targeted support for 25 million farming households
