Posted on March, 8, 2024 at 05:27 am
AGRICULTURE has got a new boost with the launch of Knowledge Centre here to play a crucial role in raising farmers’ productivity and contribute to sustainable agriculture in the area. Named, ‘Yara Knowledge Centre’ launched collaboratively by Yara Tanzania, Farm For the Future (FFF) and Seed Co. Limited.
The centre has been established at the 350 hectares seed maize farm run by FFF in Ilula District. The launch was presided over by Iringa Regional Commissioner, Halima Dendego and the Norwegian ambassador to Tanzania Ms Tone Tinnes.
The opening of the Yara Knowledge Centre in Iringa is a big boost to efforts by the government in scaling up access to agronomy and extension support, especially to subsistence growers who are struggling with low productivity for lack of crop nutrition solution knowledge and other production means.
Ms Dendego hailed the joint launch of the Centre by the three partners, noting that it will go a long way in addressing serious gaps that continue to limit farmers in the region from reaching their fullest production potential.
She mentioned some of the challenges facing farmers in the region as lack of agronomic knowledge and farm inputs such as fertiliser, poor infrastructure, affordable technologies, pests and diseases, inadequate water resources, market disruptions, lack of capital and climatic vulnerability.
“I am therefore pleased that the establishment of this knowledge centre is meant to address most of the challenges facing our farmers, especially in the provision of extension services, crop nutrition solutions through research and practical field demonstrations.
This unique partnership between Yara Tanzania, FFF and Seed Co. is a good example of private sector-led initiatives in enhancing our agriculture, and which the government wholly welcomes and will continue supporting to achieve all the stated objectives,” said Ms Dendego.
Yara Tanzania Managing Director Winstone Odhiambo said the facility will be a trusted partner that equips smallholder farmers with the education and skills through practical field demonstrations, tools, and support needed to achieve sustainable farming practices, improve yields, and build prosperous livelihoods.
“Partnering with Farm For the Future and Seed Co. to run this Yara Knowledge Centre in Ilula is therefore a practical demonstration of our shared commitment to the agriculture transformation agenda being championed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan through bridging the gap in access to subsidised inputs like fertiliser and extension service support to the most needy of our farmers,” Mr Winstone Odhiambo noted.
Mr Odhiambo said Yara remains committed to championing initiatives on soil health to enhance growers’ resilience while contributing to sustainable agriculture for food security and farmers prosperity.
The Iringa centre is among seven (7) such Yara Knowledge Centres also in Mbeya, Morogoro, Kilimanjaro, Tabora, Manyara and Zanzibar that also promote strategic partnership to drive growth beyond fertiliser, to include financial aid, Pesticides, off takers, soil testing and mechanisation.
Source: Daily News