AGRICULTURE stakeholders in the country’s cassava production sub-sector have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute (TARI) for implementation of a robust project to boost production and productivity of the important cash crop.
Well known as ‘Building an Economically Sustainable and Integrated Seed System for Cassava -BASIC II, the timely initiative eyes to ensure cassava productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers are boosted through access and application of affordable improved cassava seed varieties.
The stakeholders who signed the MoU include the Mennonite Economic Development Associate (MEDA), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), as well as the Ministry of Agriculture.
Speaking during an event to sign the MoU in Dodoma region, Stephen Magige, MEDA Country Manager said that the MoU has been entered with a very innovative approach to help resolve one of the most chronic problem facing the agriculture sector in Tanzania- limited access to affordable improved seeds.
“It is of great interest to TARI, private companies, MEDA and the funding agencies that this commercial improved seed supply business model is replicated for other crops,” he added.
He added: “In recognition of the strategic importance of cassava to the Tanzania economy and food security, in 2020 the Ministry of Agriculture put in place a cassava development strategy 2020-2030 with a target to expand the areas planted with improved cassava seed varieties production from 40,000 hectare in 2020 to 260,000 in 2030, he said.
The initiative will increase the number of improved cassava seed cuttings from 80 million to at least 1.6 billion per annum.
Giving more details, Mr Magige explained that given the ambitious target set by the parent ministry, BASIC II project had to come up with an innovative solution to ensure efficient, but well integrated -commercially driven and sustainable EGS supply chain.
“Following successful implementation of the BASIC II project on commercial seed supply system and the responsibility, the Ministry of Agriculture has entrusted the parties within the cassava development strategy 2020-2030, led by TARI have decided to commit themselves to formalise and strengthen this very important partnership to guarantee Tanzania cassava farmers, clean, high yield, disease resistant and tolerant and affordable seed varieties,” he explained.
For his part, Director General for TARI, Dr Geoffrey Mkamilo said the state-of-the-art owned seed breeder will work professionally to ensure sustainable research and production of improved cassava seeds varieties to enable involved farmers to improve production and productivity.
Through the financial auspicious from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), BASIC II worked to put in place a functioning commercialized seed supply system that vertically integrates TARI for production of early generation seed (EGS), seed companies for multiplication of basic seeds and individual cassava seed entrepreneurs that multiply certified and quality assured planting material of improved, disease -resistant varieties.
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