Posted on November, 26, 2018 at 10:48 am
MAIZE production in various parts of Tanga Region more than doubled during last year after farmers adopted modern farming, thanks to joint government and stakeholders’ promotion initiatives.
One of such stakeholders is Farm Radio International (FRI), a nongovernmental organisation, which works to deliver effective programmes to serve small-scale farmers through radio programmes. FRI is implementing a project known as “Uptake” with financial support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) under the New Alliance ICT Extension Fund Activity.
According to FRI Regional Programme Manager for East and Southern Africa Rex Chapota, FRI supports broadcasters to provide radio services as means of knowledge sharing and augmenting the voices of small-scale farmers, families and communities.
“Ultimately, this should bring prosperity and food security among small-scale farmers… We work to ensure every small-scale farmer has access to a radio programme that helps them succeed,” he said.
In Muheza District, for instance, 35,342 tonnes of maize were harvested during the 2017/18 season up from only 12,201 tonnes harvested during the 2016/17 season, according to Muheza District crop officer Idrisa Kijazi. “Apart from good rains, this was largely due to various initiatives implemented by the government and other stakeholders….
We work with stakeholders, who bring us improved seeds and other inputs as well as with FRI, which complements the government’s initiative to raise farmers’ awareness on modern farming,” he noted. Muheza has 135 villages, which are served by only 37 extension officers.
“That is why FRI’s radio programmes are valuable to us,” said district acting agricultural officer Hoyange Mmbambo. With FRI support, at least five groups across Muheza, Handeni, Korogwe and Kilindi, have been given solar-powered radios through which they get education programmes on how they can shift from traditional to modern farming methods.
The programmes are aired on the Korogwe-based Voice of Africa Radio Station. According to Tanzania Agriculture Partnership (TAP) Coordinator Asha Mbelwa, each group has between 10 and 60 farmers. “It has been quite good and that is why we are now focusing on the agricultural value chain as we go into the second phase of the programme,” she said.
Ms Mwashamba Mustafa, a farmer and secretary for Umoja ni Kazi Group in Msonga Kibaoni in Tanga said it was largely due to FRI’s project that villagers in the area had been able to be self-sufficient in food production.
“As soon as we started the group in 2016, we immediately established a demonstration farm. For the first time, we were able to produce 27 bags, each weighing between 100 and 120kg from our group’s one-acre farm,” she said, noting that the maize bags were kept to boost the 25-member group’s food security.
Each member, she said, also harvested twice as much as the preceding year. Mr Peter Shirima, who is the treasurer for Mkombozi Group of Kwachaga Ward in Handeni District harvested 150 maize bags from his 5-acre farm in 2017/18. “This has never happened before.
I used to harvest between 50 and 70 bags from the farm before taking onboard modern farming seriously,” he said. Ms Zaina Mbena and Mr Suleiman Kajembe from the same group shared similar sentiments.
The group has 30 farmers. Members of Nderemo Group at Nkama Village, Kilindi District, also had a number of success stories to tell. “We came to know FRI through TAP and since then we have been doing well.
Currently, one is assured of harvesting between 20 and 25 bags per acre, but in the past, we could yield only three bags,” said Ms Jane Lumambo, the group secretary.
Having tasted the benefits of the project, farmers now want FRI to bring more radio sets and ensure this works with more and more radio stations.
“In this way, more farmers will adopt modern farming as FRI complements our efforts,” said Kilindi District agriculture officer Seif Sempanga, echoing the sentiments also aired by Handeni extension officer Deogratious Masanja.
Source: Daily News