Two countries have facilitated a subsidy amounting to 5bn/ for the improvement of sunflower and beans production by reaching more than 100,000 farmers in 11 regions.
Speaking with a team of journalists who visited in Nging'ombe village, Wanging'ombe District in Njombe Region, a farmer Browness Chengula said she has been able to increase yields and get more income, after she started using improved seeds.
"I am interested in the cultivation of modern beans production (QDS1), because of high yields; although we earlier did not know if there were such seeds. I was then introduced about the seeds by the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) Uyole and Agricultural Markets Development Trust (AMDT) and can now see positive results," she said.
"The extension officer in the first phase gave me training on how to cultivate and take care of the farm, and for the first year when I started using modern seeds, I got 35 only bags of beans per acre. I planted 30 kilogram of beans seeds in one acre,” she said
Chengula said that when she continued using modern seeds for the second time, following all procedures given my extension officers, she managed to get 70 bags of beans per acre.
She said when the weather was not conducive; she got only 15 bags of bean, higher than three to four bags harvested during the time she was using traditional seeds.
"When I got 70 bags, I went to give a report to the municipal council and they introduced me to the market access, and the following season in 2022/2023, I again experienced weather challenges. The Agricultural Markets Development Trust (AMDT) was making follow up to me and they took me to Njombe, where I was trained on modern farming and how to better use modern seeds," she said.
She said that in 2023, she managed to get 24 bags of beans, although climatic condition was again an obstacle.
Chengula said that after the harvesting, she was able to sell the beans seeds to the farmers, so that they could use them to plant in the following season.
"I have been allowed to sell these seeds to farmers, and I have left with some quantity for my own farm in the next season. I have also placed another order so that I can grow five acres of beans only," Chengula stressed.
She thanked AMDT for enabling small farmers to get the best seeds, which have improved yields and profitability; as the majority of farmers have reported that they have harvested 70 bags per acre.
She explained that she used the income she earned from selling seeds to build a modern house, send her children to school and bought a motorbike for transport business.
On his part, an entrepreneur from Mayale Village, Zuhuru Mpinga said the knowledge she acquired on the use of quality seeds has helped her to get profit in her business.
"I started my business more than 10 years ago and I was an entrepreneur buying sunflowers at farm gate price and resell to Mbeya; but then, I changed and set up a sunflower squeezing machine and I didn't know anything. But I was later trained on how to do things in order. I followed their training by putting things in good order and this has totally changed how I do my things ", she explained.
Mpinga said that AMDT taught her about contract farming by engaging farmers, where now the success has been greater.
"My life has changed, I was unable to organize, but now I am called “Honorary Mother”, and this has helped me to get more customers," she noted.
She said the profit he got was used to buy another machine for producing sunflower oil.
"Before I received the training when I was using local seeds, on average, I was producing 24 liters of sunflower oil per 100 kilograms of seeds but through modern seeds I can now produce 40 liters of oil from 100 kilograms of sunflower seeds. So, you can see how I am experiencing the big difference," she said.
She noted that through contract farming, she gives the farmers the best seeds, where one kilogram is sold at 45,000 and farmers pay her after they have harvested.
End
_0.jpg?itok=QU87XW8D){kind=tracking}
.jpeg?itok=vCj6bCRe)
