Pyrethrum output targeted to reach 9,000 tonnes

DODOMA: A NEW five-year strategy seeks to revive the pyrethrum industry by boosting production, improving productivity and increasing farmers’ incomes after years of challenges that affected the crop’s performance and marketing.

Speaking during the 16th Pyrethrum Stakeholders’ Meeting held in Dodoma recently, Deputy Minister for Agriculture David Silinde said the strategy, which covers the period from 2026 to 2031, aims to increase annual pyrethrum flower production from 3,800 tonnes to 9,000 tonnes and expand the area under cultivation from 4,232 hectares to 11,696 hectares.

Mr Silinde said the strategy is expected to restore pyrethrum as one of the country’s major commercial crops, contributing to economic growth while improving livelihoods of farmers engaged in its production.

He said the plan also targets increasing productivity from an average of 300 kilogrammes to 1,200 kilogrammes per acre and improving flower quality by raising pyrethrin content from 1.3 per cent to 2 per cent, alongside increasing the value of domestic and export sales.

To achieve these goals, he said, authorities are working with the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) to produce improved seeds that will enhance productivity.

In addition, 200 agricultural extension officers and more than 2,000 farmers will be trained in good agricultural practices, while a farmer registration system will be established to improve coordination of production and marketing.

“The government is committed to restoring pyrethrum to its former glory. That is why the crop has been returned to the list of crops regulated by the Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA),” Mr Silinde said.

He acknowledged that the sector continues to face a number of challenges, including the use of poorquality seeds, low participation of young people, delayed payments to farmers, fraudulent trading practices and weak production and marketing management systems.

For her part, the Director General of the Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA), Irene Mlola, said current annual production stands at about 3,200 tonnes against industrial demand of 9,000 tonnes, indicating significant potential for expansion.

She said the strategy includes construction and rehabilitation of pyrethrum flower drying facilities to improve quality and enable farmers to earn better returns from their produce.

Ms Mlola added that efforts will also focus on registering new pyrethrum farms, improving crop quality and increasing export earnings to ensure farmers benefit more from the crop.

According to her, the overall objective of the strategy is to restore pyrethrum as a competitive commercial crop in the international market while increasing its contribution to the national economy.

She also called on local government authorities that have received crop moisture-testing equipment to ensure it is fully utilised to improve crop quality and enhance market competitiveness.

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Ms Mlola said the success of the strategy will depend on close collaboration among the government, research institutions, local authorities, the private sector and farmers in implementing the planned interventions.

She urged stakeholders to seize the opportunity presented by the strategy to restore pyrethrum’s position as one of the country’s leading commercial crops and a major source of employment, income and foreign exchange earnings.