Tanzania: 'Use Farming Tech to Reduce Production Cost'

By Fatma Abdu

FARMERS should use conservation agriculture technology as the best tech that uses organic soil management practices such as reduced tillage, mulching and leguminous crops to

reduces production costs and increase famers income.

The coordinator of research and innovation at Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute, Uyole centre (TARI-Uyole), Dr Ndabhemeye Mlengera, said that the centre plans to disseminate technology to benefit many farmers in Mbeya Region.

"This technology helps to reduce production costs and it helps in environment sustainability. We advise farmers to come at the centre in order to learn and sharing technology with researchers for agricultural productivity," he said.

According to him, the technology, which focuses on soil conservation and environmental protection, will help increase agricultural production in drought prone areas and ensure food security in farming communities.

Dr Mlengere added that the technology had the potential to control soil erosion and facilitate climate change adaptation, saying the centre now has cultivated beans by using conservation agriculture technology where the crop had shown good results.

TARI-Uyole centre Director Dr Tulole Bucheyeki said that that centre now has develop many technologies that helps farmers to stick on modern farming to increase their incomes.

Dr Bucheyeki further noted that TARI-Uyole has invited farmers in Mbeya Region and across Tanzania to use researchers at the centre in order to adopt new technology that continued to be discovered to boost their incomes.

For his part, TARI Director General, Dr Godfrey Mkamilo said that new technology in agriculture helps to improve the livelihood and helps in achieving government agenda of middle income economy by 2025.

"TARI has mandated to ensure that farmers use the technologies researched at our 17 TARI centres across the country. We have developed many improved varieties, educate on right ways of using pesticides, saying farmers should adhere to directives and principles of good farming for their benefits," Dr Mkamilo emphasized.

Tanzania had 94 million hectares, out of which 44 million were suitable for agriculture and only 10.1 million hectares (equivalent to 23 percent of suitable land) was currently cultivated.