Spread knowledge on profitable farming, trained growers told

Iringa. Beneficiaries of the Ihemi agriculture project have been urged to spread their knowledge on Njombe and Iringa smallholder farmers.

Under the project, groups of farmers learnt the importance of value chains and commercial farming. Ihemi cluster projects cover the two regions.

The chief executive officer of the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (Sagcot), Mr Geoffrey Kirenga, has called on trained farmers to educate their colleagues to improve production and increase profits.

“The fast the knowledge spreads the better for nation. As you might be aware proper management of resources results in improved livelihoods and creation of new job opportunities. If this knowledge covers a bigger geographical area quickly, investments will be attracted and the government will to provide social amenities to people in the two regions with ease,” he said.

Sagcot, a public-private partnership, is striving to develop agriculture by fostering responsible agribusiness investments in the corridor. It also acts as a broker and catalyst of partnership among registered partner organisations to incubate around inclusive, sustainable and viable agricultural value chains.

Mr Kirenga called on farmers to cooperate with local government leaders to make the project sustainable to attract buyers, transporters and investors in agro-industries.

The central government will monitor their performance, he said, to ensure amenities reach the targeted people.

He named things that have hindered agricultural production as unavailability of seeds, insecticides, reliable markets and experience in commercial farming.