JICA implements the project under a technical cooperation with the ministry through the Project for Supporting Rice Industry Development in Tanzania” (TANRICE2) which started in 2012.
The rice producers of Mombo irrigation scheme in Korogwe district, Tanga region said through paddy farming they have enough food and have been able to purchase a vehicle after selling their rice. The farmers have also bought combine harvesters, tractors, power tillers, and de-husking milling machine.
“This is one of the model irrigation schemes which participated in rice farming training provided by the technical cooperation. TANRICE2 has reached many extension officers and more than 25,000 farmers in both irrigated and rain-fed conditions throughout the country,” reads part of a statement issued by JICA on Monday.
It said the series of rice farming training programmes have also reached farmers in 90 irrigation schemes and 77 rain-fed areas.
Farmers have learned other important subjects such as irrigation scheme management, gender, marketing and agricultural machinery.
Moreover, TANRICE2 has scored many achievements including the dramatic increase of the adoption of improved rice farming techniques.
In the above-mentioned irrigation scheme, all members contribute to operation and maintenance fees every season so that they can keep the irrigation facilities in good condition.
They also plan water distribution in the water scarce seasons to share limited water among them to produce the best in such a hard environmental condition.
The project’s Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) met in Dodoma yesterday to review the outputs of the project in the past seven years of its operation.
JICA has supported rice farming in Tanzania since the 1970s, for more than 40 years.
Currently, together with TANRICE2, there are other MOA-JICA cooperation projects for improving rice farming in the country, namely Small Scale Irrigation Development Project (SSIDP, an ODA loan project) for the improvement and rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure and the Project for Capacity Development for the Promotion of Irrigation Scheme Development under the District Agricultural Development Plans Phase 2 (TANCAID2).
The TANCAID2 technical cooperation project is meant for capacity building of irrigation engineers and technicians as well as irrigators’ organisations.
