Kagera RC urges farmers to utilise rains wisely, prevent flooding

KAGERA: KAGERA Regional Commissioner, Ms Fatma Mwasa, has urged farmers to use the ongoing rains effectively by planting fast-maturing crops and maintaining clean drainage systems to prevent potential flooding.

Equally, she encouraged farmers in the region to commercialise bananas saying it has the potential to play an important role in terms of employment, income and food security for many smallholder farmers in the country if the productivity is enhanced.

The Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) has issued a call for preparedness ahead of the March-May rainy season, which is expected to bring a mix of rainfall patterns across different regions of the country.

Acting Director General of TMA, Dr Ladislaus Chang’a explained that some areas, including the northwestern highlands and parts of Mara and Simiyu regions, are forecasted to receive average to above-average rainfall.

The northern coast, the Lake Victoria basin regions, including Kagera, Geita, Mwanza, Shinyanga, Mara   and western parts of Simiyu and northern Kigoma are likely to see average to below-average rainfall.

He stressed the need for caution, particularly for sectors heavily reliant on weather conditions, such as agriculture and livestock.

Dr Chang’a stressed that the expected rainfall patterns could bring both opportunities and challenges.

Farmers in regions likely to experience above-average rainfall were advised to prepare for potential risks such as crop diseases, pests and humidity-related issues that commonly affect crops like maize, rice, cassava, beans and bananas.

The rainy season, which plays a key role in the country’s agricultural output and food security, will require coordinated efforts from communities and stakeholders to mitigate risks and maximise opportunities.

Ms Mwassa said that plans were being finalised to construct a modern market hub to commercialise bananas as a potential cash crop in efforts to improve the region’s economy and employment opportunities, she said.

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She said the initiative is a response to long-standing farmer complaints about market reliability. “Many farmers in Kagera region were producing bananas, especially FHIA varieties but lacked reliable market. This initiative aims to address the gap by constructing a market. Additionally, it will create employment opportunities for young people, she said.”

“Kagera region is a hub in the Great Lakes region where investors could benefit by exploiting abundant resources, including agriculture and livestock sectors. The region also has many untapped valleys suitable for irrigation schemes. The government is ready to support them,” she said.

Equally, she encouraged young people countrywide to invest in the agricultural sector for their economic empowerment.

Bananas are a staple food crop for about 2.9 million people in Kagera Region.  Farmers also derive cash income from selling banana bunches and products such as local banana brew within and outside the region.

It is estimated that over 95 per cent of households in the region are engaged in small-scale agriculture, with banana, beans and coffee being the primary agricultural activities.

Banana-coffee based farming systems in Kagera Region have developed over the past millennium and fertile farming systems ensured food supply of the local population.

Speaking recently in Bukoba Municipal, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, David Silinde explained that Tanzania had secured reliable markets for bananas in several countries, including China, Pakistan and Brazil.

He explained that the government had also increased budget for the Tanzania Irrigation Commission (TIC) from 44bn/- during 2023/24 financial year to 408bn/- during 2024/25.

Improving the productivity and profitability of smallholder farmers is viewed as an important component of attempts to improve and develop agriculture in Tanzania, as well as to contribute to the reduction of poverty.

In Tanzania, production of bananas hit a record of 3,407 metric tonnes in 2018/2019 season. There was minimal growth in comparison to the preceding season, when 3,396 metric tonnes of bananas were produced.

Banana is part of the staple diet in Tanzania and one of the ten main food crops in the country. In Tanzania, most of the bananas (over 70 per cent) are grown in Kagera, Kilimanjaro and Mbeya regions.

Other regions producing significant bananas are Morogoro, Kigoma, Mara, Arusha, Manyara, Ruvuma, Tanga and Coast.