African Agriculture and Food Systems
By JUMA MSAFIRINAIROBI/DODOMA Cross-border demand surges amid millers’ scramble for grain and government efforts to ease price pressure Tanzania has become Kenya’s unexpected saviour in the wake of soaring maize flour prices, as Kenyan millers intensify cross-border sourcing in response to thinning local grain stocks. With fortified maize flour prices hitting a 14-month high in […]
By KilimoKwanza.org Correspondent Tanzania’s agricultural sector has faced a longstanding challenge: soil acidity, particularly in regions like Iringa and Songwe. This issue has hindered crop growth and reduced yields for key staples like maize, with farmers often struggling to produce even 2 tonnes of maize per hectare. However, a transformative solution has emerged through agricultural […]
Dodoma, Tanzania – September 2, 2024: To support maize farmers and boost agricultural productivity, the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI) has released an updated list of subsidized maize seed varieties for the 2024 farming season. The announcement, made public today, features 20 newly certified maize seed varieties now eligible for government subsidies under the […]
Lilongwe, Malawi – The Ministry of Agriculture in Malawi has officially announced the suspension of the previous ban on maize importation from Tanzania. This significant decision comes after thorough discussions and evaluations with the Tanzanian Plant Health and Pesticides Authority, ensuring the containment of the Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND) which initially triggered the ban. […]
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Kilimokwanza.org To stabilize the maize market and ensure food security, the Tanzanian government has initiated the second phase of its maize purchasing program, offering a rate of Tsh 700 (US$2.90) per kilogram. This price significantly surpasses the current market rate of Tsh 500, representing a substantial boost for maize farmers. […]
Dodoma, October 19, 2023 – Tanzania’s Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, has made a groundbreaking announcement with far-reaching implications on the international stage. The Tanzanian government is set to unveil price controls for maize seeds across the nation by October 20th of this year, in a move aimed at safeguarding the interests of local farmers […]
Kilimokwanza.org team In the rich tapestry of Tanzania’s agricultural history, maize or corn stands out not just as a primary food source but as an emblem of the nation’s socio-economic and cultural fabric. Spanning over several centuries, the narrative of maize in Tanzania is one of evolution, innovation, and resilience. This article delves deep into […]
The Ministry of Agriculture, through the Tanzania Smut Control Project (TANIPAC), has been providing education to the public, particularly farmers, about maize smut and its harmful effects in the Kiteto district of the Manyara Region. Specific education has been given to those affected by the damages caused by maize smut, focusing on proper harvesting, drying, […]
Nairobi- The Deputy President of Kenya, Rigathi Gachagua, has spoken out on the ongoing controversy surrounding the importation of cheap, duty-free maize into the country. Speaking to Citizen TV, Gachagua said, “cheap maize is not available anywhere in the world”. His remarks come in response to complaints from millers who have been unable to secure […]
Dr. Nwafor: The Green Deal Could Help Address Africa’s Food Security Challenges The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has brought about new complexities in the global supply of staple food items and inputs like fertilizer, affecting many African countries. According to AGRA’s Vice President for Policy and State Capability, Dr. Apollos Nwafor, at least 20 […]
The pulse of the East African Community (EAC) economy is agriculture for the majority population. There is a huge race moving away from subsistence agriculture to agribusiness, with increased yield, quality and pricing being at the centre stage of who wins the battle. The intra and inter EAC states trade in agri-commodities gained new momentum […]
Nestled in the verdant expanses of Momba District, within the Mbeya Region, the Ipumpila Maize Farmers Cooperative Society (IMPAFCO) is breaking the mold of traditional farming with a resolute chant of “Kilimo Kwanza” – agriculture first. From the thrust of struggle against exploitation to the pinnacle of over 1,000 tons of maize per annum, IMPAFCO’s […]
By Anthony Muchoki Simplified science and technology applications in agriculture are changing smallholder farmers lives for the better in many places across Africa. They range from ensuring healthy soils, bringing to smallholder farmers improved seeds, good husbandry and use of new storage technologies, among others. According to Dr. George Bigirwa, AGRA Vice President, such activities […]
Kigoma, Tanzania; Do you like roasted or grilled maize? For this seed variety, it is not for you. The taste is not good at all. This is according to smallholder farmers in Kasulu, Kigoma Region yet, its is their preference for farming at the moment. The seed has lot of weight compared to any other […]
Mr. Linus Dominico, a resident of Nyakitonto Village in Kasulu District, who cultivates cassava, is experiencing bumper harvest, he has never seen in his lifetime. Mr. Suleiman Rumeya, cultivates maize in Msebehi village, Uvinza District. He says he has engaged himself in agriculture for the most part of his life, but what he has […]
*Tanzania set to become no 1 producer in Africa * East Africa’s most political crop By Anthony Muchoki East African Community (EAC) maize powerhouse, Tanzania has managed to create the right conditions to leapfrog way up as Africa’s topmost corn producer, save for abrupt policy shifts, that stands on the pathway. “Fermenting proper business environment […]
Transforming Tanzania’s Agrarian Sector through Maize Breeding By: Arnold A Mushongi (PhD), National Maize Breeder, Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) – Uyole P. O. Box 400 Mbeya Tanzania February 29th 2012 i Table of contents Background …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1 Importance of maize in Tanzania……………………………………………………………………………………………………1 Advantage of use of improved cultivars ………………………………………………………………………………………….2 Constraints to maize production in Tanzania […]
Kilimokwanza.org Report 50, December 1: The Century of the Hoe and the Tractor: A Socio-Ecological History of Agricultural Development in Tanzania (c. 1924–2024) Introduction: The Metabolic Rift and the Unfinished Agrarian Question The agricultural history of Tanzania over the last century is not merely a chronicle of crop yields, export statistics, or shifting political regimes; […]
Kilimokwanza.org Report 1. Introduction: The Geographic and Historical Canvas The trajectory of agricultural development in Gatimu Ward, nestled within the Ol’Joro Orok Sub-County of Nyandarua County, offers a profound longitudinal case study in the transformation of the East African highlands. Geographically, the ward is defined by its high-altitude plateau, straddling the equator which passes directly […]
Dar es Salaam In the high-stakes arena of African agriculture, Tanzania is rewriting its own narrative. For years, the country’s fast-growing livestock sector—especially poultry—has relied heavily on imported soy cake from Zambia and Malawi, exporting millions in foreign currency while fertile arable land remained underutilised. That model is now beginning to shift. Under the strategic […]