Tanzania: U.S. -Based NGO Set to Produce Improved Seeds

THE country's plans to boost local hybrid seeds production has received vital support from Clinton Development Initiative (CDI), which has entered into a commercial agreement with Agricultural Seed Agency.

Director of Media Relations at Clinton Foundation, Mr Brian Cook said CDI has entered into a 20-year lease agreement with ASA for Dabaga seed farm in Iringa for the first ever anchor farm in the country.

"At this anchor farm, we will be engaging in seed multiplication and commercial cropping," Mr Cook said in an emailed message while responding to 'Daily News' questions relating to the unique deal.

He said CDI which implements integrated commercial and smallholder farming models to increase economic opportunity and food security for countries like Tanzania will use the anchor farm as a component of its increasing local seed supply initiative.

"This project will also ensure establishing long term relationships with buyers for farm and smallholders and providing linkages to agro-processing opportunities," he wrote.

The commercial operations are key to the long term sustainability of the CDI model once the farm reaches profitability, those profits will finance the smallholder outreach component, Cook pointed out.

"CDI will also be multiplying ASA seed on the farm and working with ASA to help improve their distribution of ASA seed to farmers," he noted.

The country imports over 70 per cent of hybrid seeds because of poor capacity locally to produce them. ASA which was established under the Executive Agencies Act No 30 of 1997 and launched in June 2006 has an objective of ensuring increased hybrid seeds production locally.

Currently, the agency produces less than 5,000 metric tons of hybrid seeds and the deal with CDI may increase output to over 10,000Mt next season.

The Anchor Farm Project is a CDI-operated commercial farm that partners with thousands of neighboring smallholder farmers, providing them with access to quality inputs for maize and soy production as well as training and market access.

Farmers in the project have access to improved soy seed and to training in advanced agronomic techniques, and they have direct access to a domestic bulk buyer of their soy.

In 2012, CDI scaled up the project to five farms, providing resources to more than 28,000 smallholder farmers.

"CDI is also working with banks in Malawi to provide smallholder farmers with loans to finance their input purchases and banking accounts to help them save money after the sale of their crops and is working to expand the Anchor Farm Project to Tanzania," the Foundation said on its website.

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