Posted on February, 1, 2021 at 09:42 am
The Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) has received a donation weather monitoring tools fom the United STates Agency for International Development.
The US government provided the tools in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
The supplies include pH meters, standard rain gauges, measuring cylinders and bottles, a desktop computer, and the development of a new database server.
The weather monitoring equipment and supporting climate service database technology handed over last week, allow TMA to collect localized weather data.
The equipment and supporting technology will also help Tanzania expand production and food security in the face of climate change. Through such initiatives, sustainable development is made possible and self-reliance is achieved.
USAID’s Director of Economic Growth, Terhi Majanen said: “The new supplies and database server will strengthen TMA’s capacity to collect and store localized weather information. These are integral components to timely and accurate information dissemination and help farmers to use weather information throughout planting and harvesting seasons.”
“With this improved information, farmers will be able to make better decisions about when to plant and harvest crops, thereby maximizing production and income,” said Majanen.
TMA Director General, Dr Agnes Kijazi said the support for the procurement of the rain-gauges and the development of the web-based agriculture climate services’ database is important for increasing data availability and weather forecast accuracy.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the U.S government and FAO for cooperating with us, for reaching out to more collaborators in Tanzania, and providing education on the use of weather information for agriculture,” said Dr Kijazi.
Since 2015, USAID has funded the ‘Building Capacity for Resilient Food Security Project’
It has provided about $5.3 million to support climate smart interventions in Tanzania. Through technical assistance from FAO, the project helps TMA improve the accuracy of weather bulletins for farmers and communicators, known as extension officers.
Source: IPP Media