By Valentine Oforo, Arusha
THE Tanzania's vegetable sector is inching towards impressive development following a plan by the World Vegetable Centre (WVC) to launch the continental top genebank in Arusha City.
With official launch of the vital facility drafted for 3rd March, 2024 in Arusha City, the continental maiden genebank is projected to play a meaningful role in helping stimulate and heighten the general performance of the country’s vegetable and spice sector.
Giving an exclusive interview to this media platform Guardian, Dr. Gabriel Rugalema, the Associate Director General (Africa) and Regional Director (ESA) at World Vegetable Center (WVC) expressed that the state - of- the art genebank is equipped with modern facilities.
"The genebank we're constructing has multiple key facilities, including special sections for receiving and processing seeds, a place for drying seeds, as well as a tailor-made seed laboratory, " Dr Rugalema detailed.
Together with that, Dr Rugalema added that the facility will also incorporate a special section for dealing specifically with seeds health.
And he explained, installation of the vital seed facility at the Tengeru- based centre in Arusha region was part of the implementation of the Taiwan Africa Vegetable Initiative (TAVI) project.
"When I was tasked to lead this center, in 2020, there was no any major project which caters for many countries in Africa, and thus since my role is to serve for other countries I decided to write a proposal for a major project which will at least be executed in some countries across Africa, " the WVC' high- ranked officer expressed.
He added, the project which managed to acquire a lucrative sponsorship of 6.3USDmillion is being implemented in the four countries of the Kingdom of Eswatini, Benin, Madagascar and Tanzania.
"This project, which is due to phase out this December, is focused on guaranteeing the safe and long term conservation of vegetable seeds, for at least 99 years," Dr Rugalema unveiled.
He said the project saw rolling out of a special financial support for the construction of two modern genebank facilities in Tanzania and Eswatini, all equipped with needed driers, coolers, refrigeration and myriad other equipment.
As part of implementing the project, in Tanzania we have been working in sync with the Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA) to collect and store the large number of vegetable seeds that the county banks on.
"We're very delighted as the European Union (EU) and Crop- Trust have agreed to sponsor us to professionally launch the general, the colourful event which will attract different seed stakeholders from within and outside the country, "he informed.
Dr Rugalema, who was recently promoted from the post of Director for WVC for Eastern and Southern Africa to the title of the Associate Director General (Africa) and Regional Director (ESA) expressed gratitude for the possible manner to which the government has always been keen to support the centre, the development which has been allowing the centre to run its smooth set vision professionally.
" I am remaining optimistic that the government will in a near future be part of our genebank as the facility will play a pivotal role to put the status of the country's vegetable seeds into the global 's platform, " he observed.
Located in Tengeru, a market-town in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania, the World Vegetable Center (WVC)’s genebank maintains the world's largest public vegetable germplasm collection with 65,152 accessions encompassing germplasm of 133 genera and 330 species from 155 countries, including about 12,000 accessions of indigenous vegetables.
The Center’s African regional program began in 1992 in Arusha, northern Tanzania. Today the World Vegetable Center has professional research and development staff working across Africa on important vegetable crops such as tomato, pepper, onion and cabbage, as well as a range of African traditional vegetables, and partners with more than 40 national institutions and many international organizations.
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