VARIETY CATALOGUE OF GROUNDNUTS (Arachis Hypogaea) IN TANZANIA
- 12th December, 2022 07:21
- By RICHARD.KASUGA
- News

Groundnuts
(Arachis Hypogaea) in Tanzania
In
Tanzania, where groundnut is one of the main annual crops, the production cost
of groundnut is cheaper than of other annual crops like rice (Akpo,
Muricho, et al., 2020; Bakari et al., 2021). The total production cost of groundnut
ranges from 500,000 TZS/ha to 1,000,000 TZS/ha compared to rice, which ranges
from 2,500,000 TZS/ha to 3,250,000 TZS/ha (Ndabila, 2018). Groundnut can be
produced in all areas with an altitude below 1500m and having alluvial soils
(Daudi et al., 2012). In Tanzania, groundnut is mainly produced in Dodoma, Tabora, Geita, Shinyanga, Songwe Mbeya, Katavi,
Singida, Rukwa and Manyara regions (URT, 2021). Likewise, groundnut is largely
produced in Kigoma, Mwanza, Mtwara, Simiyu and Kagera. Most of these regions are either semi-arid or arid and mostly
challenged by drought, food insecurity and poverty.
Currently,
the country needs to cope with increasing drought due to climate change, market
shift, and other biotic and abiotic stresses (Zurich, 2014). In addressing these
challenges for improving people’s livelihood, Tanzania Agricultural Research
Institute (TARI) in collaboration with other development partners released 17
improved groundnut varieties (Mwalongo
et al., 2020). Six improved groundnut varieties were
release between 1960s and 1990s (Daudi et
al., 2012). The outcomes, however, were below expectations attaining
maximum average productivity of 444 kg/ha during the period. Thereafter, 11
more improved varieties were released, and productivity increased to an average
of 745 kg/ha. This is still less than the average productivity of Africa, which
is 800kg/ha (FAO, 2020). Even though the new varieties were available, it was reported
that about 81% of the groundnut producers still use old varieties, which are
less resistant to drought and diseases, have low productivity between (0.5t/ha
to 1t/ha) against the potential yield of between (1-2t/ha) and low market value
(Mwakimata, 2017).
Limited use of improved varieties by farmers was reported as
one of the major bottlenecks to realize high yield in the country (Daudi et al.
2018; Akpo et al. 2020). Use of improved varieties will make ever lasting effects on
peoples’ health, financial power and human resource capacity of the country. Studies
illustrate that the groundnut market is expanding in Tanzania due to a rapid
population growth rate of 3.1 per year, multiple uses of groundnut and exports
of about 20,000 tons per year (URT, 2020). All these factors combined raised an
alarm of increasing awareness and use of improved groundnut varieties.
This
variety catalogue underscores the
important characteristics of all the released groundnut varieties since 1960s
to date, an effort to enhance stakeholders’ awareness and groundnut utilization
along the value chain in Tanzania.
Groundnuts (Arachis Hypogaea) Varieties Released in
Tanzania
Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) in collaboration with Development Partners released 17 improved groundnut varieties (Mwalongo et al., 2020). Six improved groundnut varieties were release between 1960s and 1990s (Daudi et al., 2012). The description of the varieties have been provided in the document.
For more information, please follow the link below
https://www.tari.go.tz/tari-naliendele/publications/details/variety-catalogue-of-grondnuts-arachis-hypogaea-in-tanzania