By Sifa Lubasi
More than 25,000 farmers in the Dodoma, Morogoro, and Singida regions will receive education on producing quality millet and peanut seeds within their villages. These farmers will benefit from the village-level quality seed production project implemented by the Dodoma Seed Producers Organization (DASPA) with funding from the Mexican institution under the Avisa project.
In an interview with HabariLEO, the Executive Secretary of Daspa, Aithan Chaula, stated that the project aims to enable farmers to produce seeds at the village level. He explained that 25,000 farmers are expected to benefit from the project. The project also aims to empower women and youth farmers in the production of regular crops and seeds and link them to markets.
Chaula added that Daspa has collaborated with research centers, including the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) in Naliendele Mtwara, Ilonga Morogoro, and Hombolo, Dodoma. He further explained that they have collaborated with councils in the project implementation areas and partnered with the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI) and non-governmental organizations, including Action Aid and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
The international organizations they work with include the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Malawi and India. They also collaborate with the Tanzania Seed Traders Association (TASTA), which supervises the project implementation.
Chaula noted that some farmers have already received training to become seed producers. “We started with Chamwino, but now the project has reached other regions of Singida and Morogoro. This is a significant achievement for us,” he said.
He also mentioned that they have distributed millet seeds in 100 schools in the Chamwino district so that students can grow millet for school nutrition.
The villages that will benefit from the project in the Singida region are Ilongero, Msisi, Mdida, Merya, Mtinko, Ntoke, and Mlama. In the Morogoro region, particularly in the Gairo district, the villages are Lubelo, Nkenge, Msingisi, Ukwamani, Kibedya, and Kisitwi.
In the Dodoma region, the Chamwino district villages set to benefit from the project include Mlowa, Msanga, Makangwa, Iringa Mvumi, Buigiri, Chamwino, Manchali, Nzali, Mahakam, Mvumi makulu, Muungano, Makoja, and Dabalo. In the Kongwa district, the villages are Mlali, Laikala, Chamkoroma, Magweta, and Banyibanyi.