Posted on January, 26, 2021 at 09:10 am
Over 4,000 soghurm farmers are expected to benefit from the new patnership between Tanzania Breweries Public Limited Copany (TBL) and the World Food Programme for the 2021 farming season.
Farmers are expected to produce 10,000 tonnes of sorghum and TBL has agreed to buy sorghum at a 550/- per kilo.
TBL Plc’s managing director, Philip Redman, said that the 2021 project was an extension of last year’s pilot project that had proven to be a success with yields 70 per cent better than in previous years. He also went on to say that the pilot project aimed to equip the 2,000 sorghum farmers with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), improve the yield and quality of sorghum, as well as provide them with a guaranteed market for their produce.
Farmers will be pre-financed by NMB Bank and insured by Jubilee Insurance where they will be credited high-yielding seed, fertilizer, and other farm inputs which will be recovered at the end of the harvest season.
The launch of sorghum seed distribution took place in Kongwa district recently where agricultural officers from TBL were able to hold meetings with farmers to discuss the challenges they faced and met with insurance service agents to provide insurance education to farmers.
Agriculture manager at TBL Plc Joel Msechu said “This season the company rolled -out BanQu Blockchain technology which will benefit 4,000 farmers which adds transparency and traceability into our supply chain. BanQu will enable farmers to have an immutable digital record of their financial transactions e.g., production, sales, purchases (inputs), repayments, and also enables the farmer to be paid via mobile money”.
He said the company for the moment is conducting training sessions on technology use to selected groups of agricultural players including farmers, Aggregators, and local government “This ensures food security for farmers and promotes financial inclusion, increasing the bankability of these farmers. Increased production, with TBL Plc as the buyer, will also serve as a source of income for them for improving their economic positions. “said Msechu.
He added that this season the response from farmers who want sorghum seeds is greater compared to last season and the practice of providing them with seeds continues through their groups.
Sorghum farmers from Sagara B Village Farmers' Group Secretary, Theodora Mgaya, speaking on behalf of his fellow during BanQu training held over the weekend thanked TBL its partners for built their capacity through sorghum farming that was previously not commercial.
TBL Plc currently sources 74 per cent of its raw materials locally and is committed to increasing its local sourcing over the coming years. The company sources sorghum for the production of its fast-growing affordable brands – Eagle and BiaBingwa.
TBL Plc’s contribution to local sourcing and intentions to develop the sorghum industry is aligned with the government’s wider efforts to improve the livelihoods of many smallholder farmers and enhancing Tanzania’s economy.
Source: IPP Media