Mbina festival empowers farmers with modern skills

BARIADI: MORE than 200 micro, small and medium enterprises gathered at the Wasukuma traditional harvest festival in Bariadi this week as agribusiness firms used the cultural event to push modern farming technologies aimed at raising crop yields and strengthening food security.

The annual Mbina festival held last Sunday, traditionally known for celebrating harvests and community ties in Simiyu Region, is increasingly evolving into a platform where seed companies, researchers and agricultural experts connect directly with farmers facing unpredictable weather patterns and declining productivity.

The Buyer Tanzania Managing Director, Mr Mwinyi Sango, said they used the event to educate farmers on improved maize seed varieties developed to withstand drought and varying rainfall conditions across the country.

“We are using cultural gatherings like Mbina to bring modern agricultural knowledge closer to farmers. “Improving productivity today requires scientifically tested seeds and climate-smart farming methods,” said Mr Sango. Buyer Tanzania sponsored the event.

Other companies that took part in the festival were Vodacom, Yas, Airtel and Halotel long MSMEs. The head of Buyer Tanzania assured farmers that all seed varieties distributed by the company undergo extensive scientific research before reaching the market to help farmers increase productivity through improved yields and quality harvests while taking into account different climatic conditions across the country.

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“All the seeds we provide to farmers are carefully selected according to climate conditions. For example, farmers from low rainfall regions are supplied with seeds scientifically tested and proven to withstand drought,” said Mr Sango. Some farmers attending the event expressed gratitude for the agricultural knowledge provided by experts during the single-day festival.

One of the farmers, Magasha Malimi, said apart from participating in the cultural celebrations, he also benefited from the modern farming education and learnt about improved seed varieties that could help increase production.

“The festival benefits us greatly because we celebrate together while also receiving valuable education on modern agriculture,” said Mr Malimi.

Buyer Tanzania Researcher, Maduka Maduka, urged farmers across the country to make greater use of improved maize seeds to strengthen household incomes and combat hunger. He said farmers using the improved seed varieties stand a better chance of overcoming food shortages because the seeds are capable of producing high yields even in areas experiencing low rainfall.