Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute

Training on good quality rice seed production was held at the Umoja Lutheran Hostel in Moshi, Kilimanjaro region from 24-26 January 2022; International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) being the organization that sponsored the training.

The training was conducted along with other stakeholders such as the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), the Agricultural Seed Agency (ASA), the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI), and the Kilimanjaro Agriculture Training Center (KATC). Other participants in the training were farmers from thirty three districts of the nineteen regions (19) in Tanzania. In total, the training brought together fifty eight (58) participants (IRRI 6, ASA 1, TOSCI 1, TARI 4, KATC 5, and 41 farmers).

The main objective of this training is to equip rice farmers with knowledge and skills of best-bet practices/technologies in the production of good quality rice seeds for their own consumption and for sale using the already registered varieties. Also, the training intended to link farmers and other stakeholders with reliable and authentic sources of good quality rice seed like TARI and ASA.

A well-managed field for rice seed production established at KATC

Farmers were taught important things to consider when producing quality rice seeds:

1.       Awareness of quality seeds

a.        Sorting and grading seed in classes

b.       Producing good quality rice seed

2.       Develop a seed production plan

a.        Seed production calendar

b.       Marketing and sales

3.       Preparing seeds for sowing

a.        Inspect the seeds with the eyes

b.       Measure germination/germination potential

4.       Planting

a.        Field selection and preparation

b.       How to prepare the field

c.        Time for planting (timely planting)

Trainees practicing timely transplanting as an important consideration in increasing rice seed productivity 

5.       Field management

6.       Seed harvesting operations

7.       Drying and storage

8.       Processing of rice seeds

Facilitators adopted group work and presentation of group work activities to engage participants and let them acquainted of the training topics. Another training method used is practical training held in experimental fields of the KATC.