Same convinces farmers to grow avocadoes instead of khat

KILIMANJARO: THE Same District Council has initiated a campaign to change some of the farmers’ mindsets from cultivating khat, an illegal crop, to avocadoes.

The District Council Chairman, Mr Yusto Mapande, said during the council’s ordinary meeting that already some 1,000 seedlings of new varieties of avocados have been distributed in several wards and the response from farmers is positive.

“The intention here is to improve the economic well-being of the farmers by earning a decent income from avocadoes and not khats,” the Mr Mapande said.

The Chairman said if all goes well under the avocadoes programme in the next three years Same won’t be the same economically.

The farmers are expected to earn between 2.0m/- and 3.0m/- by cultivating avocados per acre.

Same’s District Administrative Secretary (DAS) Ms Upendo Wela said they are full committed to seeing that the programme is successful.

“President Samia Suluhu Hassan in one of her visits in Same directed the district to ensure that khats plants are removed,” she said.

Ms Wela represented the Same District Commissioner (DC) Ms Kasilda Mgeni.

Meanwhile, the Same District Executive Director (DED), Ms Anastazia Tutuba, said the leadership of the council has created a disaster and rescue committee that will be used to address various types of disasters when they occur.

“This committee is made up of experts from various departments within the district’s administration setup, including those from the security organs located in the district,” she said.