Mbeya Region is expeected to increase rice production per acre due t the effective use of improved seeds, farm inputs, and upgarded irrigation technology.
Regional agriculture and irrigation officer, Wilfred Kayombo said this yesterday when he met with irrigation experts from the National Irrigation Commission (NIRC), who are inspecting the progress of irrigation projects in the southern highlands region.
Kayombo said that for the past four years, rice production per acre in the region has been increasing on a yearly basis.
For instance, he said that in the 2016/2017 season, rice production was at 2.8 tonnes per acre, while the following year (2017/2018) rice production was at 3.1 tonnes per acre and in the 2018/2019 farming season, farmers harvested an average of 4.63 tonnes per acre.
"In the 2019/2020 farming season, Mbeya Region is expecting to increase rice production to an average of 5 tonnes per acre. And this is contributed by a number of interventions including the effective use of improved seeds, farm inputs, and irrigation technology," Kayombo said.
NIRC regional irrigation Engineer, Elibariki Mwendo said that the achievement is a result of the increasing use of improved seeds and modern technologies in rice farming in Mbarali, Kyela, Busokelo, and Mbeya Rural districts.
Eng. Mwendo said that many farmers have moved from traditional farming practices to a technology-led production. The official said that farmers are currently adopting improved rice varieties like SARO 5 (TXD 306) and being trained on good agricultural practices for rice production.
According to him, the SARO 5 (TXD 306) rice variety has a yield potential of 40 bags per acre.
He further said that rice production in Mbarali District has increased from three tonnes to 5.4 tonnes per acre, while maize has increased to 3.5 from 2.3 tonnes per acre, onions (10 to 11 tonnes per acre), tomatoes (21 to 40 tonnes per acre).
Eng. Mwendo cited environmental degradation in water sources as one of the challenges facing irrigation projects in Mbeya region.
“Excessive tree felling for timber and cooking energy, some of the areas are cleared and lead to soil erosion and siltation in the rivers, hence pose negative impacts on irrigation infrastructure,” Mwendo said.
He also described the increasing number of people, who are relying on the Ruaha river basin for irrigation as another challenge thwarting irrigation infrastructure development in the southern highlands region.
Unwise use of water for small-scale farmers who use traditional irrigation schemes is another challenge facing irrigation schemes in the region, he said.
In addressing all the challenges, Eng Mwendo said that the government through NIRC has come up with the 15-year National Irrigation Master Plan (2020 - 2035) to improve all irrigation schemes across the country including building dams for irrigation and other water uses.
Through the master plan, NIRC will venture into a campaign to encourage people to get involved in environmental conservation and sustainable water use.
NIRC has been working closely with district councils to look for financial resources to build irrigation schemes to increase food crop production.
He also encouraged farmers to team up and look for loans to develop and improve irrigation infrastructure in their schemes.
