TARI Set To Produce 600 Tons Of Seedcane To Bolster Tanzania’s Sugar Production -

Tanzania is annually producing 482,048 tons of sugar, whereby the actual demand is 722,000 tons

By Senior Reporter VALENTINE OFORO

THE Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) has embarked on constructive project to produce and distribute 600 tons of high yielding sugarcane seeds to the farmers.

The disease-free and true-to-type sugarcane varieties, which are drough tolerant include TARICA 1, TARICA and R 570.

The robust initiative commenced in the financial year 2023/2024 as a national strategy to address a challenge of shortage of quality sugarcane seeds in Tanzania, under financial care of the Government through the Ministry of Agriculture.

Among others, it seeks to upscale production of the perennial grass crop to boost production of sugar in Tanzania.

And in the implementation of the project TARI Kibaha centre in working in sync with Mkulazi Holding Company, through Kilosa farmers in Morogoro region.

Dr Nessie Luambano, manager of TARI Kibaha center expressed that Tanzania is grappling with an acute shortage of sugar, propelled by lack of high yielding sugarcane seed varieties.

Dr Nessie Luambano (L), manager of TARI Kibaha center hands over improved seedcanes to Ms Salome Mbilinyi, a beneficiary farmer from Mbigiri AMCOS in Kilosa district, Morogoro region.

“Currently, Tanzania is annually producing 482,048 tons of sugar, whereby the actual demand is 722,000 tons,” she briefed.

Of the demand, Dr Luambano observed, 482,000 tons is for brown sugar (domestic sugar) and at least 240,000 tons for industrial sugar.

To curtail the shortage, she said the government tasked TARI Kibaha to undertake thorough research so as to develop and make abundant availability of quality seeds varieties throughout the project.

Through the development, she noted, the sugarcane seeds research center has so far managed to hatch two potential varieties, namely TARICA1 and TARICA 2.

“We researched and invented the varieties through high- technological laboratory procedures, including tissue culture to ensure for their yielding potential,” she informed.

Through the initiative, a total of 33 sugarcane growers and extension officers from different seven villages of Kilosa district have been distributed with the new varieties in readiness to multiply them and distribute to other farmers.

To ensure the project fetches the targeted end- results, TARI Kibaha imparted the involving farmers with needed agronomic practices for the production of the seeds.

According to Mr Robert Mlimi, the agriculture officer at TARI Kibaha, the farmers empowered on selection of seedcane during planting, basing on rainfed and irrigated varieties.

“Among others, the we train them to mastermind site selection for establishing sugarcane plantations, land preparation, planting method, as well as fertilizer application,” he informed.

The three- day clinic, he noted, also capacitated the farmers on sugarcane disease management, unveiled SMUT and Ratoon Stunting Disease (RSD) as common, whereby the naughty insect pest in the sector include Elana, white grub and white scale, as well as yellow sugarcane alphids (YSA).

The training, which involved theoretical and practical – based sessions was held over the weekend at the Mkulazi Holding Company’s sugarcane estate, ‘Nursery A’, covering ten acres.

Dr Mariam Mtunguja is the national coordinator for sugarcane production from TARI Kibaha centre.

During the launching of the initiative, she underscored over the need for the beneficiary farmers to use the acquired knowledge to multiply the seeds professionally.

She urged them to work with patriotic spirit to produce the targeted tonnage of the seedcane, and stand as trainer of trainer (ToT) to impart the other farmers with the acquired knowledge.

The farmers picked for the training are those operating under Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (AMCOS) and in possession of over one- acre of sugarcane potential growing land, and who are ready to become seeds producers, among others.

After received the seedcane, the farmers expressed delight, and high commitment to ensure the project meet the set government’s vision.

Ms Salome Mbilinyi, is a beneficiary farmer from Mbigiri AMCOS, and after received the seedcane, she expressed: “We’re very grateful to President Samia Suluhu Hassan for supporting implementation of this project, throat it, we’re expecting to improve our sugarcane yields, at least to 80tons per acre,”

Mr Emmanuel Mhahe is the other beneficiary farmer from Makiwami AMCOSS who expressed high commitment that the involving farmers will work to produce the needed tonnage of the seedcane.

Tanzania, the third-largest sugar producer in East Africa, aims for self-sufficiency in sugar production by 2025, with sugarcane production concentrated in Morogoro, Kagera, and Kilimanjaro regions, and currently faces a gap between domestic demand and production.

The project coordinator, Mr Ngabo Pamba, a Research Officer at the Department of Technology Transfer and Partnerships (DTTP) at TARI Kibaha gives information to the farmers during the practical training held at the the Mkulazi Holding Company’s sugarcane.