Sua, French experts to research on climate change

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The Sokoine University of Agriculture (Sua) and the French government have signed an agreement to cooperate in controlling and countering Climate Change which has greatly affected crop production and the agriculture sector at large.

Morogoro. The Sokoine University of Agriculture (Sua) and the French government have signed an agreement that would allow experts of the two sides to cooperate in controlling and counter climate change that has affected agriculture sector in Tanzania.

French ambassador, Mr Frederic Clavier visited Sua yesterday and held talks with officials of the university on interventions that would help mitigate the effects of climate change and strengthen agriculture sector in Tanzania.

The ambassador said through the agreement, Sua expert will study in France and upon their return will help local farmers on practical ways to withstand and counter climate change.

“Upon their return, Sua experts would be in a good position of finding proper and modern ways of making the farmers withstand climate change patterns in the country,” he said.

Sua’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Raphael Chibunda, said there has been great changes in weather patterns that have caused delay of rains or increased the intensity of rains, thus affecting agriculture and livestock development.

He said Sua was the only college in the country training and providing extension services, adding that the French government offered five chances to Sua’s experts to study both agriculture and animal farming in the country.

He said the French experts would later come to Tanzania to take up short courses at Sua at the cost of his government.

Representative of the UN’s Food and Agriculture (FAO), Mr Fredy Kafelo, said the cooperation between Sua and France would help improve the agriculture sector and help increase food security in the country.