Bukoba — ABOUT 420 farmers in Kagera Region were recently paid over 700m/- from carbon farming, a financial incentive for combating effects of climate change in their plantations.
'Carbon trading' means buying and selling of verified or certified of carbon emission, reductions and removals in accordance with the recognized international carbon standard.
Kagera Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Albert Chalamila launched the project on Friday at a well-attended ceremony held in Karagwe District's Kamagambo village.
"Despite being endowed with arable land and conducive climate for supporting production of numerous crops, farmers in Kagera and others the country have been failing to realise bumper harvest due to severe effects of climate change.
These effects include prolonged drought spells, soil erosion, and soil infertility together with washing away of soil humidity," he said.
He appealed to farmers in Kagera and others across the country to make more efforts in environmental conservation while also commending KADERES Peasants Development Public Limited Co (KDP Plc) for making the dream come true.
Mr Chalamila directed District Commissioners and District Executive Directors in the eight Councils- Muleba, Bukoba DC, Biharamulo, Ngara, Karagwe, Kyerwa, Missenyi and Bukoba MC to ensure that each household plants at least five avocado trees in their respective areas.
KADERES Managing Director (MD), Mr Leonard Kachebonaho informed him that KDP Plc in collaboration with other partners, including RaboBank of Netherlands were making efforts to train farmers on biological practices to restore the losses.
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"Carbon farming is a new way of farming to sequestrate carbon in the soil. Carbon that otherwise ends up as CO2 in our atmosphere, causing climate change. With carbon farming farmers use the power of the soil to sequestrate carbon emissions from industry, infrastructure and households nearby.
This yields a better climate, more fertile and resistant farmland, and also creates opportunities for several partners in and outside the agrifood chain," he said.
He explained that to-date at least 420 farmers had already been registered while the target was to reach 100,000 farmers this year. The farmers were being trained on various strategies to combat climate change and agro-forecstry, he said.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, is a key element in the fight against climate change. One way governments and companies are trying to reduce their emissions are through carbon trading, he remarked.
The Environmental Management (Control and Management of Carbon Trading) Regulations, 2022 aims to enable a conducive environment of carbon trading in Tanzania.
These regulations provide for legal framework necessary for ensuring sustainable environmental development by enhancing environmental conservation and the country's contribution towards global efforts on greenhouse gases emissions reduction.
