Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute

Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) expressed its readiness to further partnership with the Brazilian government in the area of agricultural research following closure of the project known as alternatives for the distribution of by-products of cotton in Tanzania (Beyond Cotton Project) that farmers testify to have benefited tremendously.

The willingness to further partnership was stated by the TARI Director General Dr. Thomas Bwana during the project closing ceremony held on March 28,2024 at Nguge Village in Misungwi district in Mwanza Region.

Beyond Cotton Project was a two – year project that started in July 2022. Immediate beneficiaries of this project included farmer from three districts; Magu, Kwimba and Misungwi found in Mwanza Region is well-known region for cotton farming in Tanzania.

The Beyond Cotton Project was an international cooperation developed in partnership between the Government of Tanzania, through institutions of the Ministry of Agriculture, TARI, and the Tanzania Cotton Board (TCB) together with the Brazilian Government and World Food Program (WFP) in Tanzania.

The project aimed to promote the marketing of cotton by-products and products from mixed crops like; maize, beans, cowpeas, bio fortified beans orange sweet potatoes and chickpeas.

Also the initiative focused in developing solutions to contribute food security in the partner countries, as well as identifying the social- economic and nutritional conditions of cotton producers and consumers in the project’s extent.

During implementation of the Project, numerous activities were conducted to strengthen the capacities and production systems of smallholder producers.

Among These included; technical training and knowledge dissemination, promoting access to water and food production, promoting of low –cost technologies and autonomy in agri-food production as well as food and nutrition security.

Dr. Bwana-TARI’s Director General highlighted the project’s achievements including the purchase of 255 planting machines, 3 power tiller and construction of 9 plate cisterns of 16,000 per each in different primary schools found in the districts in projects scope.

Dr. Bwana requested the Brazilian government to further the existing partnership with TARI by collaborating to initiate several other projects like in sugarcane research through its centre TARI Kibaha that have national mandate to carry research to sugarcane crop.

Hon. Gustavo Nogueira- Brazilian ambassador to Tanzania during his speech commended the achievements farmers obtained through implementation of the “Beyond Cotton Project” and assured the continuation of bilateral relations in various areas between Tanzania and Brazilian Government.

Mr. Gungu Mibavu a representative from Ministry of Agriculture in Tanzania who oversees markets and food security Department, said that the achievement of the project will still benefit the farmers and as Ministry will make sure the knowledge acquired through the project is shared to farmers in other regions across the country. 

A cotton farmer - Mr. Musa Minyaro at Salama Village, N’gaya Ward in Magu District in Mwanza, said among many achievements the project provided training in the area of adopting Good Agricultural Practices which helped farmers to adopt new cotton spacing of 60 centimetre line to line and 30 centimetres from hole to hole that its productivity almost double that of the previous spacing.