By Valentine Oforo
TO improve production and productivity in the country’s rice sector, the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) in its Morogoro- based Dakawa Center is running initiatives to produce more than 200 tons of new improved rice seeds varieties.
Tanzania leads in East Africa for rice production and the country stands at 4th position in Africa, after Nigeria, Madagascar and Ivory Coast.
The focus, among others, is to ensure that the crop’s growers from across the country are timely equipped with enough, but improved seed varieties for the vital socioeconomic crop.
Projects for the production of the hybrid seeds varieties are currently being taking place at the numerous rice-growing zones of the country, including Dakawa and Ifakara (Morogoro), Mombo (Tanga) and Mbeya region, by participating a good number of farmers, according to Dr Jerome Mghase, TARI Dakawa Manager.
Dr Mghase unveiled that the new seed varieties, including TARI RIC 1, TARI RIC 2 and TARI RIC 3 are produced through the initiatives, observing that they’re (the varieties) potential in terms of yielding capacity (around 7.5 per hectare) and grain quality, among others.
“Introduction and production of the key rice seeds varieties resulted from diverse research we conducted in cooperation with like-minded stakeholders including the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI),” he informed.
He noted that to a greater extent, the new seeds will help the farmers involved in the sector to expand their production and productivity, the sensible development which will fuel the general performance in the country.
“We’re also continuing to collaborate smoothly with other stakeholders to ensure the country is equipped with enough improved rice seeds varieties,” he stated.
He further went on to inform that the center was in a joint venture robust program with IRRI to engage rice growers in Morogoro region to participate in research activities and adoption of submergence rice seed technologies.
Among others, he said the major focus behind the project was to elevate productivity in production of the economic edible starchy cereal grain cash crop in the country, added that through the timely initiative, most of the smallholder farmers, agricultural extension workers, and agro-dealers have so far received helpful training on submergence rice technologies.
“The series of the training are tailored to provide a useful podium to help capture innovative ideas from farmers in order to generate appropriate rice seed that survives in flood environments. Also, the research wanted to build farmers’ confidence about the technology to be developed; own it hence its adoption once the project excels, “he expressed.
In more efforts to spur the performance of the economic sector, last year the center in collaboration with the Zanzibar Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI) conducted a special training on Mutation and Breeding (MB) to help speed up rice breeding programs in the country.
During 2019/2020, the country produced 2.2 million tons and the focus, as per the ministry of agriculture, is to heighten the production to at least 4.4 million tons by 2030.
Tanzania's rice records show that at least 71 percent of rice is grown under rainfed conditions with about half of the county's rice grown by 239, 000 smallholder farmers.
Rice is grown in three major ecosystems in Tanzania, rainfed lowland, upland, and irrigated systems. The area under rice increased from about 0.39 million hectares in 1995 to about 0.72 million hectares by 2010.
Production increased from about 0.62 million tons in 1995 to about 1.33 million tons of paddy rice in 2009 but dropped to 1.10 million tons in 2010.
The centre was established in 1984 by a joint effort of the government of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Government of the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea with a prime vision to become the rice centre of excellence in the eastern, central and southern Africa region, whereby its mission is to develop and disseminate results-based- research outputs on rice leading to efficient and resilient farming systems.
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