Tanzania Plans for Hybrid Seeds

Arusha — Next year Tanzania plans to produce 30,000 metric tonnes of hybrid seeds to boost the agricultural sector and ensure food security.

Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Godfrey Zambi, recently revealed that currently there is a shortage of 60,000 metric tonnes of certified hybrid seeds to boost the agricultural sector to ensure that the country was self-sufficient in food production.

Tanzania's agricultural growth had stagnated at between 4 per cent and 5 per cent annualy. Adding that in order to help peasants break out of the poverty ring; the agricultural sector needs to grow by at least 10% per annum.

The agriculture sector accounts for about 26% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 30% of foreign exchange earnings in Tanzania. It also employs nearly 80 per cent of the local population of 45 million.

The deputy minister stated that when it becomes operational the new seed processing plant being built by African Seed Company (SeedCo) in the outskirts of Arusha city at Kisongo.

The new seed processing plant worth 13 million US dollars (over 22bn/-) will be one of the country's hybrid maize seed multiplication companies.

Its production is expected to increase the country's seed production capacity to 30,000 metric tonnes by 2015, even though the figure will account for just 50 per cent of the country's current needs.

Board Chairman of SeedCo East Africa, Michael Ndoro, said his firm has invested a total of $13 million in Tanzania.

He lauded the country for its efforts towards boosting the farming sector by creating a supportive framework.

The growth rate would make Tanzania meet the target outlined in the second National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP II) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), both of which aim to reduce poverty by 50 per cent and eliminate food insecurity by 2015.

Zambi said: "As government, we are determined to implement the green revolution; however, a green revolution won't be attained without increasing production and use of certified seeds in the country."

He called on certified seed producers to intorduce better strategy that would promote the effective use of improved seeds by farmers. He underscored the importance of using certified seed in boosting the farming sector, which employs 80 per cent of Tanzania's population.

The minister said it was high time seed companies produced more seeds in the country to attain a true green revolution.

He suggested that urgent and deliberate efforts must be taken to encourage rural farmers to embrace the use of high-yield varieties to boost productivity and make Tanzania a hunger-free nation.