COPRA distributes seeds to mung bean farmers

DODOMA: THE Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA) has handed over three tonnes of mungbean seeds to Simiyu Regional Commissioner Anamringi Macha for distribution to farmers as part of preparations for the upcoming farming season.

Speaking during the handover ceremony held in Dodoma recently, COPRA’s Director of Operations and Quality Control, Mr Kamwesige Mtembei, said the seeds will be distributed to farmers free of charge.

Mr Mtembei said the COPRA will continue working closely with farmers at all stages of the crops value chain while urging them to get ready to receive quality seeds provided by the government.

“We have already handed over the seeds to the Simiyu Regional Commissioner. This is an ongoing initiative aimed at empowering farmers in various regions across the country,” Mr Mtembei noted.

He added that COPRA was committed to working with farmers from the beginning of the farming season up to harvest time to ensure productive and profitable agriculture in different parts of the country.

He further explained that the seeds, also known as green gram seeds, will be distributed in several regions to ensure that all farmers receive them before the start of the farming season.

For his part, Simiyu Regional Commissioner Anamringi Macha said the Sixth-Phase Government supports farmers’ efforts to increase productivity and ensure that they sell their produce fairly and transparently.

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He emphasised that having strong cooperative societies is the best way to give farmers decision-making power when selling their crops.

He therefore urged farmers to form strong cooperatives to conduct their business in a fair and transparent manner. RC Macha said all farmers will receive quality seeds to prepare for the new farming season, which is expected to begin soon in various parts of the country.

According to a report published on the World Vegetable Centre website, Tanzanian farmers are set to benefit from two new mungbean varieties that combine drought tolerance, high yields and a much-needed nutritional punch.

The 2025 report published by the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), TARI-G-GRAM 4 and TARI-G-GRAM explains that varieties are designed for the country’s semi-arid areas, where farmers depend on crops that thrive under dry conditions.

“Green gram may not rival maize or rice in terms of popularity, but researchers see it as a crop of the future in Africa. It grows quickly, tolerates dry conditions and enriches the soil by fixing nitrogen, reducing the need for chemical fertiliser,” explained on the World Vegetable Centre site. Nutritionally, mungbean is also rich in protein, iron and zinc – nutrients often missing in rural diets, particularly for children and women.

In East Africa, where anaemia rates remain high and droughts regularly disrupt food supplies, a hardy crop that can deliver both nutrition and income is especially valuable.

The newly released varieties intended for Tanzania’s Dodoma, Singida, Tabora, Mwanza and Simiyu regions, mature in just 65–74 days, shaving between one and two weeks off the normal time to harvest, helping farmers avoid late-season heat and water stress.

They also yield over one tonne per hectare – between 10-15 per cent more than local, commercial varieties. TARI-G-GRAM 4 also contains around 17 percent more iron, and TARI-GGRAM 5 is around 6 percent more iron than locally available types. Both varieties also provide around 3 per cent more zinc, another critical nutrient often missing from local diets