African Agriculture and Food Systems
By Anthony Muchoki “Sometimes it looks unreal. It is like a miracle. Yes, it is a miracle… we never thought in our lifetime, we would be able to have a warehouse as big as this one- yes, and belonging to us- the smallholder farmers!” It is Mr. Osphard Sinkala, talking, looking at an imposing warehouse, […]
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 […]
“There is no meaningful poverty alleviation effort without addressing agriculture and its challenges.” These are words by Kigoma Urban MP Zitto Kabwe, which smallholder farmers, who are the majority populace in Tanzania and Africa at large, can easily identify with. Agriculture, after all, is the predominant economic sector in Kigoma Region, where the bulk of […]
Dar es Salaam. It started just as a simple horticulture cargo handling some nine years back but TAHAFresh is today celebrating being one of the reputable logistics service providers locally and internationally. The subsidiary firm of business association Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) was established in 2008 to handle the horticultural cargo and now, it has […]
HORTICULTURE Flower industry targets 650,000 jobs in 5 yrs Over one million Tanzanians would directly work in the horticulture industry by 2020 when the global demand for the sub-sector’s products would reach $153 billion. Currently, about 350,000 Tanzanians are engaged in horticultural activities. The $1.8bn export target THE anticipated growth in Tanzania’s agricultural sector is […]
By Angel Navuri Tanzania’s president, H.E. John Pombe Magufuli is pushing the country to manufacturing and agro-processing. For Augusta Madembwe a farmer based in Ikuna, Njombe district, Iringa region, she hopes the push by the president will reach her village. “If the government can create an environment that will enable processing of agro products at […]
By Angel Navuri After college education, not many young people in Tanzania would willingly chose to be farmers as a career choice due to the doggy peasantry tag associated with agriculture. The situation has been so dire, such that, to turn the tide, the government last year came up with a National Strategy for Youth […]