TARI -Mlingano Grills Senior Military Officers On its Role Towards Improving Blue Economy -

By Senior Reporter VALENTINE OFORO

THE Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) has said it works to develop researches on agricultural transformation while protecting the environment and ecology of the sea, thus contributing to the blue economy.

The key development has been unveiled by the Director of Technology Transfer and Relations at the state- owned agricultural research institute, Dr. Sophia Kashenge.

She was presenting a special topic towards the military officers for the year 2024/25 at the Command and Staff College (CSC)-Duluti, based in Arusha City, the event which attracted senior military leaders from at least 23 African countries.

Being part of the annually training rolled-out by the key facility, the senior military officers are getting ample opportunity to visit at the diverse institutions to learn over their responsibilities and contributions towards building and fostering national security

In this year, the senior military officers who benefited from the training got a chance to visit the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI)’s Mlingano Centre in Tanga Region to learn on numerous works executed by the facility with an eye to scale –up agricultural research.

At the center, Dr Kashenge, who hosted the esteemed visitors on behalf of TARI’s Director General, spoke over the importance of food adequacy in prospering national security.

“Availability of enough food is among the prerequisites for allowing peace, solidarity and security to thrive automatically within a country. We, TARI are working round the clock to conduct helpful research and disseminate to the local farmers useful agricultural technologies in order to boost production and productivity in the sector,” Dr Kashenge briefed.

She added that the center, TARI Mlingano, is also working to develop research that aims to propel food security in Tanzania, thus helping the army in its central responsibility of safeguarding the country and the entire citizens.

Dr Kashenge observed that the general focus of TARI is to conduct vital research for the metamorphosis of the country’s agricultural sector while alleviating effects of climate change, the effects which sparks an array of environmental and health challenges, thus weakening security.

Speaking for his part, the Command and Staff College (CSC)’s Rector, Major General Steven Mkande hailed TARI for the good role it plays in transforming Tanzania’s agricultural sector.

Together with that, on behalf of the other visitors, Major General Mkande expressed to have been impressed with the professional manner to which their host, Dr Kashenge has managed to present an informative presentation which highlighted how TARI conducts key research to scale -up the environment and ecology of the sea.

The Command and Staff College (CSC)-Duluti is one of Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Forces’ training institutes that impart necessary knowledge for senior military officers with rank of Major and above from TPDF, EAC, ECOWAS, SADC, North Africa and other friendly countries. It was found in 1979 few months after the Kagera War and was situated at Fort Ikoma in the plains of Serengeti National Park in Mara region the North West of Tanzania.

However, in 1989 was shifted to Monduli district in Arusha region in the northern part of the country and was co-located with her sister Tanzania Military Academy (TMA).