Posted on September, 10, 2018 at 10:25 am
PETI SIYAME in Sumbawanga
FARMERS in Rukwa Region realised surplus of one million tonnes of food after harvesting 1.3 million tonnes during the 2017/18 harvesting season, according to a Bank of Tanzania (BoT) report.
Speaking during the presentation of a report on food security in the Southern Highlands Zone, Director of Economy Department at BoT in the Southern Highlands Zone Sungra Mashini said during the 2017/18 season, the Southern Highlands Zone had realised the combined harvest of 8.4 million tonnes of food, thus having a surplus of 5.7 tonnes.
He noted that Rukwa Region alone had realised the harvest of 1.3 tonnes, hence getting a surplus of one million tonnes. Equally, during the season ending June, this year, the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) had 23,062 tonnes of maize in its stores.
He elaborated that NFRA-Sumbawanga Zone had 3,404.9 tonnes of maize at its storage facilities, while Makambako had 19,657.1 tonnes. “The World Food Programme (WFP) has purchased 14,019.3 tonnes of maize.”
He further said that Rukwa Region was endowed with arable land suitable for agriculture, thus becoming famous for the production of maize, beans, wheat, millets, sunflower and cassava.
Source: Daily Nation