INCREASING agricultural productivity remains a central concern for Tanzania because it is a major factor determining the level of income of the sector in meeting the food requirements of continually expanding populations and in generating foreign exchange to finance domestic programmes.
This is the view of Dr Joseph Ndunguru of the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Selian Centre, in Arusha region. In Tanzania, agriculture contributes about 28.2 per cent to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs about 58 per cent of Tanzanians.
Agricultural research has an important role to play in meeting these targets since many of the new technologies, inputs and techniques of production that increase productivity are developed through inquiry, says Dr Ndunguru.
Speaking at a one-day Annual Agricultural Research Forum and Seed Stakeholders Meeting held in Arusha region recently, Dr Ndunguru noted that a transformed agricultural research system helps to achieve sustainable food and income security for all agricultural producers and consumers, particularly for resource-poor households, whether they are in rural or urban areas.
He says for research to make an impact, research technologies and outputs should reach end users using innovation platforms and must assess socio-dynamics of farmers. He explains that successful research depends on dedication and commitment, self-motivation, high level of cooperation, hardworking, high level of transparency and effective communication.
“Agricultural Research in Tanzania has and will continue to play a big role in the agricultural transformation as Tanzania now is a middle-income economy country which puts emphasis on industrial economy,” he says. “Raw materials for most of the industries come from the agricultural sector. Agricultural transformation therefore will ensure sustainable supply of raw materials to our industries.”
According to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), 2013, the agricultural population in Africa is expected to exceed 580 million by this year and about 60 per cent of the world’s arable land is found in Africa.
Dr Ndunguru said that in order for “our research to make an impact, technologies and outputs should reach the end users using innovation platforms and must assess socio dynamics of farmers before technologies are delivered.”
He says successful research depends on dedication and commitment, self-motivation, high level of cooperation, hardworking, high level of transparency and effective communication.
“We should maintain team work and collaborative efforts are needed to achieve our goals and come up with research activities that address public challenges. Researchers who have ambition to reach far should collaborate with others to share knowledge and improve his or her research output,” he explains.
He noted that a transformed agricultural research system helps to achieve sustainable food and income security for all agricultural producers and consumers, particularly for resource-poor households, whether they are in rural or urban areas.
Agriculture provides employment for 50 per cent of the labour force where 47 per cent of these workers are women. However, the agricultural sector provides only an average of 15 per cent of the GDP to the continent, according to studies.
There is a consensus within Africa that such a vital sector as agriculture needs to be transformed using the catalytic power of science and technology for which research is the key where increasing agricultural productivity remains a central concern of developing countries.
In Tanzania, agriculture is the mainstay of the economy. About 32 million people (equivalent to three forth of the entire population) live in rural areas and 80 per cent of them are involved in the agricultural sector.
Dr Ndunguru says research can contribute to agricultural transformation by boosting productivity, to address challenges resulting from climate change including drought, heat, cold, pests and diseases.
Also by improving nutrition and value addition and marketing, to bring about agricultural transformation in Tanzania, soil characterization is very important, he adds. TARI in collaboration with its partners is currently characterizing Tanzanian soils to understand their chemical and physical properties and generate soils maps.
Among its strategies implemented is deployment of crops and fertilizer application (Plant crops in correct areas and use correct fertilizers), to decide on where to plant different crops, to decide on types of fertilizers to apply on which crops, to decide on which soils are good for irrigation and to decide on amount of fertilizers to be applied.
TARI Director General Dr Geoffrey Mkamilo says that for research findings to make a positive contribution to the sector of agriculture, the agricultural policy must address challenges facing farmers in the country.
He says the agricultural policy revolves around the goals of developing an efficient, competitive and profitable agricultural industry, saying the policy is very important in the improvement of research activities for the development of the agricultural sector in the country.
“We are looking on how to improve our research activities that will reach and benefit farmers in the country. To meet our target, the agricultural policy should be improved to transform smallholder farmers into commercial farmers,” Dr Mkamilo explains.
Under the theme ‘promoting public and private partnership transforming smallholder farmers into commercial farmers’, the annual meeting brought together over 200 participants from various private and public seed companies, farmers, agricultural stakeholders, researchers, development partners, among other agribusiness stakeholders in the value chain.
Speaking at the annual meeting, Arusha District Commissioner Kenan Kihongosi said seeds and inputs produced by researchers should reach farmers on time to boost their production. “I call upon researchers to ensure agricultural inputs reach farmers. I also ask you (researchers) to produce technologies and seeds that are adaptable to climate change,” Mr Kihongosi said.
He praised efforts made by researchers and other agricultural stakeholders to improve the sector which immensely contributes to the growth of the country’s economy. Tanzania has 94 million hectares, out of which 44 million are suitable for agriculture and only 10.1 million hectares—equivalent to 23 per cent of suitable land—is currently cultivated.
