New soil-fertility programme to boost productivity

TANGA: FARMERS across the country will soon transition to productivity-focused crop production as the Ministry of Agriculture prepares to launch a new national programme that will provide precise, digital soil-fertility data and recommend the appropriate types and quantities of fertiliser for application in each area.

The programme is set to roll out once 45 soil and fertiliser research specialists from ministry-affiliated institutions complete a week-long training at the Mlingano Soil Research Centre in Muheza, Tanga.

During the training, experts are developing a unified national soil-analysis protocol, the first comprehensive update since 1984.

Opening a six-day training session, Director of Land Use Planning (DLUP) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Juma Omari Mdeke, said the updated soil protocol is expected to revolutionise crop production by providing farmers with precise, science-based guidance on the most suitable crops for their land.

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“This is only the second time in the country’s history that we are producing a unified soil-protocol report. The last one was in 1984. But unlike then, when soil mapping was done at a scale of 1:2,000,000, we are now working with a far more detailed scale of 1:50,000,” he said.

Mdeke noted that the experts are undergoing training in internationally recognised soil-sampling and analysis techniques, a move that will enable the government to deliver accurate, digital soil-information services directly to farmers.

On his part, Director of Research and Innovation at the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Deusdedit Mbazigwa, said participants will also be equipped to harmonise soil-sample laboratory interpretations from various labs across the country.

“This programme will help farmers understand their soil fertility levels, determine the most appropriate crops and know the correct type and amount of fertiliser to apply,” he said.

He said the programme will also provide the government with clear national data on soil nutrients and fertiliser requirements using different soil-testing protocols.

Institutions participating in the Tanzania Fertiliser and Soil Research Programme (TFSRP) include TARI Naliendele, TARI Selian, TARI Maruku, TARI Ukiriguru, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), TFRA and TARI Mlingano — the country’s central soil research laboratory.

TARI Mlingano Director, Mgeta Mirumba, said more than 100,000 soil samples have already been collected from villages in various regions and will undergo detailed laboratory analysis.

The Ministry’s Chief Agricultural Officer, Ntirankiza Misibo, said the government expects farmers to soon have access to precise, village-level soil-fertility information that will help them significantly increase yields instead of relying on traditional farming practices.