Tanzania Leads Africa For Beans Production At Over 1.48 Tons Per Year -

Tanzania is a giant producer of beans in Africa and the globe in general with records depict that about 1,484,000 tons of beans were produced by the farmers in the country during last year

By Senior Reporter VALENTINE OFORO

TANZANIA leads Africa Continent for production of beans and 7th in the world, with currently production stands at 1.48million tons annually.

The encouraging record has been revealed by the Director General of the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Dr Thomas Bwana.

He said this in his remarks to open the conference on the seed system for peanut, bean and sorghum crops.

The meeting held in Dodoma Capital City was organized by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in cooperation with TARI- Naliendele, TARI- Selian, TARI- Hombolo and TARI- Ilonga through the Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa (AVISA) project.

1.48 million

The tons of beans produced by farmers in Tanzania in a year

Dr. Bwana said Tanzania is a giant producer of beans in Africa and the globe in general, saying records depict that about 1,484,000 tons of beans were produced by the farmers in the country during last year.

“Through working in partnership with different stakeholders in the legume sector, we have successfully managed to heighten the bean production capacity for 42 percent, from 0.77 tons per hector in 2010 to at least 1.40 in 2021,” he unveiled.

Beans are a staple food for over 75 percent of rural households in Tanzania, and nearly 6 million households consume beans. The average person in Tanzania consumes 19.3 kilograms of beans per year.

PRODUCTION IN TANZANIA

Beans are grown on 7 percent of Tanzania’s arable land, and the average yield is 888 kilograms per hectare. Common beans are grown in a variety of climates, including the Northern and Southern highlands, and the Eastern and Western lowlands.

EXPORT

Tanzania exports about 48 percent of its bean production to neighboring countries, including Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.

COMMERCIALIZING

Around 60 percent of the beans produced in Tanzania are sold in the local market.

INSECTS

Common pests that affect bean plants include aphids, cutworms, grabs, and beetles. Some insects, like bees, spiders, lady birds, and ants, are beneficial to bean plants.