Dar es Salaam, 23 October 2025
The Royal Norwegian Embassy and PASS Trust have entered into a landmark partnership to implement the Soybean Value Chain Support Project (2025–2028), a USD 4.8 million initiative designed to unlock Tanzania’s soybean potential through innovation, inclusive finance, and climate-smart agriculture.
Co-financed by a USD 2.4 million grant from Norway and an equivalent credit guarantee facility by PASS Trust, the project will empower 12,500 smallholder farmers, at least 40% women and youth, to increase productivity, access tailored financing, and strengthen market linkages in the Ruvuma Region, Tanzania’s growing soybean hub.
“This project goes beyond funding; it represents a shared vision for inclusive, climate-resilient, and market-driven agricultural growth,” said Mr. Yohane Kaduma, Managing Director of PASS Trust.
Catalyzing Inclusive Growth through the Commodity Compact Model
At the heart of this partnership lies PASS Trust’s innovative Commodity Compact Financing Model, an integrated approach that connects finance, technology, and markets to de-risk agribusiness investment and scale up private-sector participation.
Through this model, PASS Trust will deploy credit guarantees, leasing instruments, and digital solutions that make finance accessible while ensuring value chain actors, from input suppliers to processors, operate in a structured, market-led ecosystem.
“By linking farmers, financiers, and markets through blended finance, we are building a system where productivity and profitability go hand in hand,” added Mr. Kaduma.
Driving Measurable Impact for Tanzania’s Future
The project targets a jump in soybean yields from 677 kg/ha to over 3,000 kg/ha, reaching 30,000 metric tons annually by 2028 and contributing to USD 250 million in import substitution value. It will also mobilize over USD 7.6 million in private financing, expand processing capacity, and reduce post-harvest losses from 30% to below 10%, while promoting green mechanization and climate-smart practices.
Representing the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Mr. Kjetil Schie, Head of Cooperation, emphasized that the initiative aligns with Norway’s global priorities on climate action, gender equality, and digital inclusion:
“Norway is proud to support a partnership that strengthens Tanzania’s agricultural resilience while empowering women and youth to lead in innovation and enterprise.”
A Scalable Model for Agricultural Transformation
The Soybean Value Chain Support Project exemplifies PASS Trust’s role as Tanzania’s leading catalyst for agrifinance innovation. It directly supports national priorities under ASDP II, FYDP III, and the Sustainable Development Goals (1, 2, 5, 8, and 13), creating a scalable model for other strategic value chains such as wheat, sunflower, coffee, and others.
