GAIN upbeat to reduce iron deficiency malnutrition

THE Global alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has supplemented community seeds pipeline with high iron beans to reduce iron deficiency malnutrition in the society.

The project was implemented in Kilimanjaro, Kagera, Iringa, Mara and Manyara where 121 farmers from Kilimanjaro and Iringa regions benefited from the project.

Speaking on the World Food Day which ended over the weekend, the GAIN Project Manager, Nyangakwa Ndili said the aim of the project is to create a scheme of the production and availability of nutritious bean seeds in the community which can produce grains in large quantities for consumption and distribution in schools and markets.

“We have supplied 2,950 kilogrammes of certified seeds to produce Quality Declared Seeds (QDS) by irrigation scheme which later on will be distributed to the farmers as they can produce enough grains.

In collaboration with the supply officers we have also managed to provide education to them on how they can do better farming,” said Ndili.

Moreover, he said the GAIN in collaboration with HarverstPlus and the government has also enabled the Commercialization of Biofortified Crops (CBC) which is catalysing commercial markets for biofortified seeds, grains, and food products.

In addition, he said by developing commercial markets for biofortified crops that are primarily grown by smallholder farming families, the CBC project will help create a sustainable basis for improving diet quality and tackling hidden hunger among both farmers and consumers.

Mr Ndili said the CBC is implemented in nine regions including Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Manyara, Kagera, Kigoma, Geita, Ruvuma, Iringa and Songwe which involved 155 bidders and head teachers from the said regions.

“In between October last year to March  this year, a total of 267,850 kilogramme of nutritious  flour and 250,520 kilogrammes of nutritious beans  have been distributed and used at schools in Kagera, Kigoma, Geita, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Manyara, Iringa, Songwe and Ruvuma,” said Ndili.

He said that their intention is to distribute the knowledge to all regions to enable them to produce nutritious flour for students in schools in support of the implementation of the government’s guideline for feeding students while in the school.