MBUYUNI onion and maize growers in Karatu District, Manyara Region, said yesterday that they would increase crop yield, thanks to the supply of right fertilisers and extension services offered by workers of Yara Tanzania.
Mr Emmanuel ole Mollel told reporters without giving figures that crop yield had increased threefold “because these people are selling to us the right fertilisers and they teach us how to use the fertilisers.” He noted that the use of proper fertilisers and extension services “have uplifted our lives.”
The reporters are in Karatu District to make a follow-up of the production of traditional food and cash crops in the district and of the impact farming has had on the welfare of growers as Tanzania envisions becoming a middle-income economy by 2025.
Mr ole Mollel also praised the government for encouraging private sector stakeholders to work with farmers and solve their persistent problems.
“Agronomists and extension officers from Yara Tanzania tell us that they get support and encouragement from the government,” Mr ole Mollel testified.
Mr ole Mollel is famous in the area for growing onions. Mr Gwandu John, a Mbuyuni maize grower, commended Yara extension officers, saying they were keen on use of fertilisers supplied by their company. “They tell farmers the kind of fertilisers to use and when to apply them.
They are also keen on the type of soil found in the area.” For his part, Mr Melchezedeck Safari said although they had been growing maize for a long time in the area, they were harvesting very little.
“But Yara Tanzania services have changed the situation. Unlike in the past, today we can stand before the people and say we grow maize in this area,” he said.
The company sells to farmers sulphur to enable farmers to curb deficiencies that can cause serious plant health problems and loss of vitality. Bushfires are common in Manyara Region.
