Rukwa surpasses crop harvest target by 103 per cent
RUKWA: RUKWA Region has recorded a bumper crop harvest, achieving 103 per cent of its production target for the 2023/24 season.
The Regional Commissioner, Mr Makongoro Nyerere, stated that the region harvested 1,701,064.3 tonnes of crops in 2023/24, surpassing the projected 1,654,840 tonnes target .
In 2022/23, Rukwa realized 1,469,000 tonnes of various crops.
“The 232,064-tonne increase in crop production is attributed to modern farming techniques, including higher fertiliser use, soil testing and enhanced extension services, shifting from subsistence to commercial production,” he noted.
The RC highlighted that Rukwa ranks second in crop production among Tanzania’s 31 regions. Key crops include maize, leading in production for the 2023/24 season, followed by rice, millet, sorghum, beans, sunflower, wheat and cassava.
He reported that maize alone accounted for 929,421.9 tonnes of Rukwa’s total crop production of 1,701,064.3 tonnes harvested in the 2023/24 season.
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The region has also produced a surplus, with actual demand at 506,060 tonnes, leaving the remainder as excess.
In addition to modern farming practices like soil testing, the region is building a 21bn/- Ilemba irrigation scheme covering 1,600 hectares, set for completion this year.
The Ilemba, Sakalilo and Kilyamatundu irrigation schemes will be developed in the Rift Valley along the Lake Rukwa Basin in Sumbawanga District, known for its rice production.
Recent statistics reveal that the new irrigation schemes will help farmers boost rice production to 45 bags per hectare, up from the current 20.
Rukwa currently has 58 irrigation schemes, 52 of which are traditional and has identified 67,461 hectares of land suitable for irrigation.
Due to the bumper maize harvest in the 2023/24 season, farmers in Rukwa earned over 70bn/- by selling to the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) Sumbawanga Zone Office.
In the past four months, the NFRA purchased 100,072.8 tonnes of maize, surpassing previous seasons, including last year’s 60,000-tonne purchase.
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NFRA’s Sumbawanga Zonal Manager, Mr Andrew Kanyika, attributed the success to President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s decision to raise the maize price from 600/- to 700/- per kilogramme, a move that has significantly benefitted farmers.
During her August 2024 tour in Rukwa, President Samia also introduced a maize seed subsidy, a decision widely welcomed by farmers and traders.
