MPs want education on agro-conservation
The committee said that conservation agriculture— a set of soil management practices that minimize the disruption of the soil structure, composition and natural biodiversity—has proven potentiality to improve crop yields, while improving the long-term environmental and financial sustainability of farming.
Committee chairman Mahmoud Mgimwa (Mufindi North, CCM) made the remarks here yesterday during a meeting bringing together committee members and agriculture stakeholders to discuss strategies to enhance conservation farming as part of efforts to combat climate change effects.
The stakeholders included the Conservation Farming Unit (CFU) and the African Conservation Tillage Network (ACTN) that work to provide small and medium scale farmers with the environment, knowledge and practical experience to help them successfully adopt conservation farming and conservation agriculture practices.
“We are likely to increase productivity through conservation farming because farmers will harvest enough even without using so much fertilizer. With conservation farming we will be consuming organic food because farmers will avoid the use of fertilizers”, said Mgimwa.
“The government will make sure conservation agriculture is practiced by farmers by putting in place enabling policies and laws,” he stated.
Hanang MP Dr Mary Nagu (CCM) said farmers in her constituency have shifted from conservation farming and adopted modern farming practices which require fertilizers. She said experts need to educate rural Tanzanians on the importance of conservation framing as many of them are not practicing it.
“We need to go back to farmers and educate them on conservation farming because they have all shifted to modern farming methods. Agricultural experts must promote conservation farming to protect the soil,” she said.
Musoma Rural MP Prof Sospeter Muhongo (CCM) said farmers are massively using fertilizers hence the need to educate them on the adverse impacts of fertilizers in soil. He said farmers need to be educated on how they can enrich the soil without fertilizers.
ACTN executive secretary Saidi Mkomwa insisted on the need to shift from current farming practices to conservation agriculture, using modern farming tools.
He affirmed that agricultural practices in the country damage the soil hence the need to protect it for future generations.
Efforts are needed to enhance food security as many people are moving into urban places and will depend on food from rural areas, he said, noting that by 2030 there will be 35m people living in urban areas.
“We have massive uncultivated land, but we also produce very little from the total cultivated area. We can harvest much for food and business if we start engaging in conservation agriculture,” the agro-sector activist emphasized.
Some regions which were famous for maize production are no longer producing the same amount due to damaged soil associated with the use of fertilizers, he added.
