RC tasks extension officers to be aggressive

DODOMA Regional Commissioner (RC), Ms Rosemary Senyamule has asked all extension officers in the region to ensure that they work hard to bring about changes in the agricultural sector that will enable the development and economic growth of individuals and the region generally.

She said that if the agricultural sector does not grow, Dodoma dwellers will never be able to get rid of poverty as 80 per cent of them depend on agriculture as an activity to promote the economy.

“Dodoma region is poor economically when you look at the national statistics and even at individuals’ level of income; we have a responsibility to help our farmers to increase productivity and output,” she said recently.

Ms Senyamule noted that there are lots of opportunities from agricultural and livestock sector, but the region has no proper plans to work productively.

She also instructed district extension officers to prepare and present work plans and strategies on how to implement agricultural activities that will focus on food security, economic development and employment opportunities.

“I need to see your work plan explaining on how you will carry out productive agricultural activities in your districts. Don’t solely depend on the ministry’s strategy, use your creativity to create yours and ensure they contain priority crops such as sorghum, sunflower and grapes,” said Ms Senyamule.

She also asked them to ensure they have demonstration farms, so as citizens can learn through examples and with the reality so as to influence them to practice what they see.

RC Senyamule has instructed all schools in Dodoma to plant sorghum in their school farms and has asked extension officers to advise and instruct farmers in their areas to plant sorghum as the rainy season comes to its end.

On her side the Dodoma Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS) Ms Fatuma Mganga said that the region must put emphasis on agricultural sector as in other sectors like in education.

The World Food Organisation (WFP) Project Manager, Mr Abiud Gamba said that Dodoma has great opportunities of increasing its income through sorghum production due to its favourable climate and availability of reliable market from Tanzania Breweries Ltd (TBL) and Sudan.

He said that Sudan alone needs 200,000 tonnes of sorghum per year but the sorghum produced in Dodoma does not even reach 10 per cent of that demand.

He noted that for the year 2021, only 46,988 tonnes were produced in Dodoma that did not even reach a quarter of 200,000 tonnes that Sudan demands.

Among those tonnes, Kongwa produced 11,667 tonnes, Bahi 4,892, Chamwino 5,686, Chemba 0, Kondoa 2,951 and Mpwapwa 21,796.

“Sorghum is a crop that if it is taken seriously will help raise the income of the people and the Dodoma region in general, for example in 2018 the price were 200 to 250/- per kilogramme but until now a kilogramme of sorghum is sold for 500 to 550/- per kilogramme.

“We have conducted research on sorghum, it is a crop that can do well in the climate of Dodoma region, there are enough and quality seeds produced with Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) but we also have 19 farmers who produce quality sorghum seeds,” he added.