Mbeya — SOYBEAN farmers, researchers, seed producers and traders met here yesterday to discuss how to increase production and improve trade of the crop.
The meeting convened by the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (Sagcot) aimed at collecting views from the private sector and government representatives drawn from the ministries of agriculture, livestock, industries and trade as well as development partners.
Sagcot's Head of Clusters and Partnership Development, Ms Maria Ijumba, said the meeting focuses on the crops value chain improvements and solutions so that farmers make most of their toil.
"Delegates to this meeting are soya stakeholders from the private and public sectors found in the soya value chain. We are formulating a strategy that will have positive impact on the value chain. We are looking forward to see soya produced in Tanzania becomes highly competitive and finally benefits the growers," she explained.
Tari's National Research Coordinator (Legiums), Mr Meshack Makenge, said that research made in Tanzania has produced five types of improved soya seed, including Uyole Soya1, Uyole Soya 2, Uyole Soya 3, Uyole Soya 4 and improvement on traditional Bossier seed.
"We urge farmers to make most of these research products. By observing proper crop husbandry, a farmer will harvest between 2.5 and 3 tones in a hectare," he told the meeting. He also reported that the market of quality soya is just guaranteed.
The representative of Sange Agro-Seed Ltd, Mr Mashaka Matafya, said that Tanzania is still importing soya while the country is capable of becoming self-sufficient is soya production and even export the surplus.
"The market is assured. Soya is needed by producers of human foods and animal feed. Traders and livestock keepers are getting insufficient supply of local soya yet soya can be grown by young and aging people. Increased soya production, in rural and urban Tanzania, will alleviate poverty, contribute significantly to the national gross product (NGP) and create jobs," he argued.
By 2030, Sagcot partners seek to bring 350,000 hectares of land into profitable production, elevate 100,000 small-scale farmers into commercial farming, create 420,000 jobs, lift two million people out of poverty and generate 1.2 billion US dollars in annual farming revenue.
