Sekta ya Kilimo, Ufugaji na Uzalishaji Tanzania | Tanzanian Agricultural Sector

[xJamaax]

Jamvi hili ni la habari na maendeleo kuhusu sekta ya kilimo. Najua kuna habari nzuri na hata mbaya kuhusu sekta hili, kwa mfano kuna habari kama nchi za kigeni ambazo zimenunua kiwango kikubwa cha ardhi nchini ilhali kuna watu ambao wanalalamika kuhusu ardhi inayonyakuliwa na wageni.

Pia tunaweza kutaja hali ya bidhaa zinazokuzwa nchini na ambazo zimeimarisha sekta hili.

[Geza Ulole]

New plan to expand irrigation
From FINNIGAN WA SIMBEYE in Dodoma, 25th July 2011 @ 20:00, Total Comments: 4, Hits: 663
A RECORD one million hectares will be under irrigation by 2015 as Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives is getting rid of regular food shortages and export bans against cereals.

Minister for Agriculture, Professor Jumanne Maghembe told Parliament here on Monday while tabling his ministry’s budget estimates for 2011/12 that currently the country has only 345,690 ha under irrigation.

Prof. Maghembe said it was only through irrigation that the country could produce in excess to meet both national food demands standing at over 11.5 million tons per annum. The ministry will also establish National Commission for Irrigation during 2011/2012 financial year.

This is in line with President Kikwete’s order when he visited the ministry earlier this year. He said a bill seeking to establish the commission will be tabled in Parliament in the next eleven months saying with incessant weather patterns which have affected rain-fed agriculture, the way forward was to invest in irrigation.

“Some 51.8bn/- has been set aside for the purpose of establishing the Commission,” Prof Maghembe noted. During this financial year, some 40,000 ha will be added under irrigation which will increase the total to 385,690ha.

Shadow minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr Meshack Opulukwa and Parliamentary Agriculture, Livestock and Water Committee Chairman Professor David Mwakyusa, criticized the government for failure to meet a 10 per cent budget allocation to agriculture in line with the 2003 Maputo Declaration by African Union (AU) leaders to rid the continent of food insecurity.

“It is a fact that the agriculture sector supports over 70 per cent of the population especially those in rural areas. It is also a fact that if the government was allocating enough resources in this sector then poverty would be tamed,” Mr Opulukwa argued.

He said that due to poor investments and meagre budget allocation annually, contribution of the sector to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been declining since 2008/9 when it was 19.0 per cent down to 18.4 per cent in 2009/10 and 17.8 per cent last year.

Prof Mwakyusa also criticized the declining budget allocations made in the national budget with respect to agriculture saying it does not work well. “Growth of the agriculture sector has been dwindling on annual basis due to poor investments.

In 2008/9 it grew by 4.6 per cent, in 2009/10 the sector grew by 4.2 per cent,” Prof Mwakyusa noted. Warning that agriculture growth does not tally well with population growth at 2.9 per cent, Prof Mwakyusa challenged the executive to make difficult decisions now and save the country from trouble.

“Growth in budget allocations for the agriculture sector has been disappointing. In 2008/9 it was allocated 440bn/- or an equivalent of 6.4 per cent, in 2009/10 it was increased to 666.9bn/- or an equivalent of 7 per cent while last year, the sector got 903bn/- or an equivalent of 7.7 per cent,” he said.

Prof Maghembe asked the House to approve 258,350,877/- under vote 43 for the ministry’s recurrent expenditure, 152,406,152,000/- and development allocation is 105,944,725,100/- and another 6,660,012,000/- under vote 24 for development of cooperative societies.
http://www.dailynews.co.tz/home/?n=22150

[Geza Ulole]

again there is no word "Ukilimo" in Swahili but "kilimo"

[xJamaax]

Originally Posted by Geza Ulole

again there is no word "Ukilimo" in Swahili but "kilimo"

Post all your complaints in this thread Jukwaa la Mapendekezo | Tanzanian Forum Moderation

[kiligoland]

image hosted on flickr

aerial coffee plantation arusha by Malangali, on Flickr

[kiligoland]

Commercial Cut Flower Industry

[kiligoland]

India set to boost support for Kilimo Kwanza Initiative



The agricultural sector is set to receive a major financial boost, following a promise by the Indian government to inject USD 92million (over 140bn/-) into the Kilimo Kwanza Initiative.

“I am optimistic that the Indian supported programme would immensely contribute to the current efforts aimed to improve the performance of the agriculture sector in Tanzania,” said the Indian High Commissioner to Tanzania, Kocheril Bhagirath during the Indo-Tanzania roundtable on agriculture and allied sectors in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

The forum jointly organised by the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), brought together over 100 members of the business communities from the two countries.

The envoy said currently the government of India was working on the USD 92m loan programme.

“Effective implementation of this programme would start after the current USD 40m agriculture programme, a line of credit extended by Indian government, elapses.”

The Acting Executive Director of the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC), Raymond Mbilinyi told The Guardian, on the sidelines of the meeting, that the project would be implemented jointly by the Tanzanian and Indian business communities.

He expressed optimism that the envisaged programme would be a great boost to the country’s agricultural sector, viewed, for years, as the backbone of the national economy, noting that “many farmers would benefit from this project.”

The Indian government had already extended a line of credit of USD 40million (60bn/-) to the sector, which was used for purchasing tractors to support implementation of the Kilimo Kwanza initiative.

Local media recently quoted the Indian High Commissioner as saying that Indian government will work with Suma JKT and other government ministries to ensure prices of tractors it provided through the loan are affordable to farmers.

Opening the forum, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Marketing, Mohamed Muya hailed India government support in the improvement of the agricultural sector in Tanzania, saying it has immensely contributed to raising the productivity of the sector.

“USD 92m Indian government-supported agriculture programme, currently in the drawing boards, is an additional package which would really support our national endavours to boost the sector,” he added in a speech read on his behalf by the Director of Crop Development in the Ministry, Geofrey Kirenga.

He said Tanzania has numerous agricultural potentials, urging the business community to find ways of exploiting the opportunities for the benefit of the two nations.

The head of the Indian delegation, Ramakrishna Karuturi said agriculture was central to both economies, praising the Tanzanian government for making agriculture its top priority through Kilimo Kwanza initiative in the quest to transform it into “modern and commercial sector.”

Among other things, Karuturi said the forum aims to explore the possibilities of cooperation between India and Tanzania in the field of agriculture and allied sectors, expressing commitment of Indian business people in working with their Tanzanian counterparts to develop the sector, generate local employment and exportable surplus.

For his part, a board member of TIC and Chairman of Agriculture Council of Tanzania, Salum Shamte described Tanzania as “a sleeping agricultural giant” since its potential has not been exhaustively exploited.

He called on Indian investors to come forward and invest in the country’s agriculture sector, but cautioned that their investments must take into consideration interests of small-holder farmers, who constitute 75 per cent of all players in the sector.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

[tanzan]

Originally Posted by kiligoland

image hosted on flickr

aerial coffee plantation arusha by Malangali, on Flickr

this is when you are approaching or taking off from Arusha airport.

[kiligoland]

Originally Posted by tanzan

this is when you are approaching or taking off from Arusha airport.

beautiful view

[bantugbro]

Tanzania can beat Kenya in horticulture - Indian firm


Ramakrishna Karuturi, Managin director of Karuturi Global LTD.

Tanzania has more potential in horticultural products than Kenya which is currently the industry leader in East Africa, Ramakrishna Karuturi, Managing director of Karuturi Global Limited from India has said.
Karuturi, who was recently in Tanzania to look for investment opportunities in agriculture said what the former country needs to bolster the industry, is to attract more investors and take serious measures to put up modern infrastructure to support the sector.
Karuturi said although Tanzania has suitable land that can be used for floriculture and good weather that can support the farming, it does not have airport infrastructure to support transport of horticultural crops.
“Just look, I had an interest in investing in floriculture in Tanzania, but after examining the airport infrastructure I found that it does not support floriculture. In the circumstances I have decided to embark on palm oil cultivation, rice and sugarcane farming,” the CEO of Karuturi Global Limited, the world leading holder of land banking said.
“Besides, it does not look appear that Tanzania has a dedicated charter for this sector once the investors begin to invest in,” he said.
He said Tanzania needs to change the mindset if it wants its horticultural potentials exploited to enable it to compete with countries like Kenya and Ethiopia.
Tourism and flowers exports are the key money spinners in the Kenyan economy.
Karuturi said he has instead to embark on palm oil and cereal cultivation in Tanzania and therefore plans to acquire land.
“I expect to acquire 311,700 ha of land that is similar to Ethiopia,” he said noting that he believes the government will support him to achieve his business goals.
In addition, he said he has applied for 1000 ha of land from the Government for production of rice, sugarcane and palm oil at Rufiji Basin, Coast Region.
He said once his projects bear fruits, soap and edible oil manufactures who are compelled to import raw materials from Malaysia and Indonesia would cease to do so.
He said Karuturi is a major recruiter in eastern Africa, with 10,000 staff, noting that Karuturi is the largest producer of roses in the world with 650 millions stems produced annually under green houses in India, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Presently the company has acquired 311,700 ha of land in Ethiopia for the cultivation of cereals, palm oil and sugarcane rendering Karuturi as one of the largest agricultural land bank holders in the world.
Source:
http://www.ippmedia.com/

[kiligoland]

TUKUYU TEA

image hosted on flickr

Tea fields, Tukuyu, Tanzania by Sara&Joachim, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Tea factory, Tukuyu by Sara&Joachim, on Flickr


image hosted on flickr

Tea factory, Tukuyu by Sara&Joachim, on Flickr


image hosted on flickr

Tea factory, Tukuyu by Sara&Joachim, on Flickr




image hosted on flickr

Tea fields, Tukuyu, Tanzania by Sara&Joachim, on Flickr

[kiligoland]

10-year agricultural, food investment plan unveiled


The government yesterday unveiled an Agricultural and Food Security Investment Plan (TAFSIP) to address the core national problems of poverty and food shortages in rural areas and promote agricultural growth and nutrition security.

The ten-year plan was unveiled in Dar es Salaam at a Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Compact Business meeting.

TAFSIP will coordinate the resources needed to promote implementation of the existing and new development initiatives in agriculture and food security to be implemented from the 2011-12 to 2020-21 under the CAADP framework.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives Prof Jumanne Maghembe said the programme seeks to achieve at least a minimum of 6 percent growth in the agriculture sector, for which the government needed to allocate a minimum of 10 percent of its budget.

“The financing plan currently focuses on the first five years 2011-12 to 2015-2016 of the ten years of TAFSIP…in order to achieve at least the 6 percent annual growth from sectoral investment of around 8.7trn/- to be financed by the government, development partners and the private sector,” the minister said.The minister pointed out that the primary beneficiaries are the smallholder farmers, pastoralists and agro-pastoralists and fishing households, who will be helped to adopt improved agricultural practices.

He added that the future generation of Tanzanians will benefit from measures to prevent environmental degradation and sustainably manage natural resources the minister added.

Mohamed Muya the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives said the plan was a continuation of the post compact strategy and road map that was developed following the signing of the Tanzania Compact for the comprehensive Africa agriculture development programme (CAADP) in July 8th, 2010, that guided the country on actions to take towards developing a high quality investment plan.

The PS cited thematic areas to be covered by the plan as irrigation development, sustainable water resources and land use management where as the focus will be on increasing production and assured water resources for sustainable irrigation development and efficient land use.

He said it will also include agricultural productivity and commercialization, rural infrastructure, market access and trade to accelerate the rate of growth in the agricultural sector with increased income from expanded market opportunities.

Other areas are rural infrastructure, market access and trade, private sector development and food and nutrition security. Also to be addressed will be disaster management, climate change mitigation and adaptation and policy and institutional reforms and support.

The Vice President Dr Gharib Bilal who chaired the meeting stressed the need to ensure that plan reflected the economic aspiration expressed in vision 2025 for the mainland and vision 2020 for Zanzibar, both of which seek a modern, commercial and profitable agricultural sector, utilising natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Earlier contributing to the discussion, Felix Mosha who represented the private sector assured the VP of their commitment to work with key partners to support its implementation.

“It has to be marketed and it needs to have the best priorities for it to be beneficial for the country’s economy…We’re resolved and we’re ready,” he stressed.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

[kiligoland]

Govt finalising USD 5.3bn plan to revamp agriculture

The government has come up with an ambitious agricultural development plan worth USD 5.304 billion in an effort to boost agriculture in the country.

Addressing a regional implementation workshop of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-supported projects in east and southern Africa, permanent secretary in the ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives Mohamed Muya revealed that the plan involves seven priority areas - irrigation development, production and commercialization, rural infrastructure, market access and trade, private sector development, food and nutrition security, disaster management and climate change as well as policy and institutional reforms and support.

According to Muya, the ten-year plan will play a pivotal role in moving the country into middle-income country, taking into account that agriculture employs 77 per cent of Tanzanians.

“The investment plan is estimated to cost USD5.304billion with funding gap of USD2.876 billion of which the government, development partners and private sector are expected to bridge the gap,” the PS said.

He however stated that the government has dispatched a team of experts from different fields to assess the food situation in the country.

The team involves experts from agriculture, Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), World Food Program and other stakeholders.

“This is very important for the government to work on food situation, which seems to be very critical in some parts of the country,” Muya reinstated.

He said that despite of government intervention the prices of food stuffs has kept on escalating in recent months, attributing it with high transport cost.

“The price of food stuffs has been attributed by transport costs from the production areas to the markets’ destinations,” he said.

He however called upon farmers and other stakeholders to seriously embark on irrigation, saying: “Getting into irrigation will make the country have sustainable food production.

“That is why we’re busy putting in place irrigation facilities across Tanzania.”

Finance and Economic Affairs deputy minister Pereira Silima implored the need for the private sector to actively engage in agriculture, which had a lot of potentials to be tapped.

He said that Africa in recent years was facing acute food shortages as a result of climate change, whose impact was detrimental to the survival of millions of people in the region.

Silima also asked farmers and other stakeholders to engage in irrigation farming as a solution to climate change.

The four-day meeting involved experts from sixteen African countries - Tanzania, Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Sudanand Swaziland.

Others were Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi and Rwanda.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

[bantugbro]

Great news, there is so much untaped potential in Agri...

[Geza Ulole]

Tanzanian farmers look to science - and tradition - to resist drought

19 Jan 2012 10:21

Source: alertnet // Felix Mwakyembe

A girl eats boiled corn in Kapkembu, Kenya, on November 18, 2009. REUTERS/Noor Khamis

By Felix Mwakyembe

MBEYA, Tanzania (AlertNet) – Recent years have not been kind to Veremund Mfuse and his maize crops.

As Tanzania struggles with increasingly extreme weather, the farmer, from Mbarali in Tanzania’s Mbeya region, has seen his maize production decline, a problem he says is affecting farmers across the region.

“Our major challenge here is drought. We face a critical shortage of water, rains are not reliable (and) we harvest very little,” Mfuse said.

In response to the problem, which experts in the region say is linked to climate change, some farmers are now planting new, drought-resistant maize hybrids, while others are experimenting with a return to traditional varieties.

NEW FAST-GROWING MAIZE

Arnold Mushongi, a researcher at Uyole Agricultural Research Institute in Mbeya, about 860 km (540 miles) from Dar es Salaam, has developed several new varieties of maize that require little water, can grow in less fertile soil and are pest-resistant.

They can also produce significantly bigger yields: 8 to 10 tonnes per hectare compared with less than 2 tonnes per hectare from commonly used local varieties, particularly in drought conditions, according to Mushongi.

The new hybrids mature in 125 to 130 days, up to three weeks less than is required for normal maize varieties.

Mfuse says that is exactly the kind of maize he now needs to be planting.

“Maize seeds that take so long to mature are a loss (in current conditions). We need seeds that take a shorter period to mature, (so that) when rains stop the maize is ready for harvest,” he said.

Four of the new hybrids, especially suited to high altitudes, are now being grown in farms in areas between 800 and 2,200 metres (2,600 and 7,200 feet) above sea level.

Maize is Tanzania’s major staple crop, and about 85 percent of the population depends on it for their food or livelihood. Half the maize produced in the country comes from the regions of Iringa, Ruvuma, Mbeya and Rukwa in the Southern Highlands, known as the nation’s “bread basket.”

The Southern Highlands contribute about 90 percent of maize held in the National Strategic Grain Reserve. In the past, the area enjoyed bumper maize harvests, but in recent years yields have declined due to drought, unreliable rains and worsening diseases.

Climate change appears to be causing temperatures to rise, said Mushongi, leading to the appearance of insect pests, new types of diseases such maize streak fungus, and weeds such as striga, all of which adversely affect crops.

Mfuse acknowledges that poor land management has also played a role in agricultural production declines. Felling of indigenous trees to make charcoal, overgrazing, and farming in swamp areas, on river banks and at water sources during the dry season have exacerbated problems with lack of water.

TRADITIONAL VARIETIES

While most of the measures employed in adapting agriculture to changing climate conditions focus on modern science, some farmers in the Southern Highlands are also turning to traditional maize varieties, which they say are better adapted to local conditions.

Leneth Motto, a farmer from Kilolo district in Iringa region, said that while farmers still grow and sell hybrid maize varieties that come from Kenya, they prefer to grow and eat local maize varieties for their own needs.

“Local maize seeds are thick, dense and mature early, they are good for food and provide more flour compared to hybrids,” Motto said.

Recent findings by the International Institute for Environment and Development, a non-profit UK-based research organisation, suggest that traditional knowledge could be an effective guide to adapting agriculture to climate change.

In coastal Kenya, researchers found, many farmers are going back to using traditional maize varieties that are proving hardy and better able to cope with unpredictable weather conditions and local pests.

Farmers in the region also choose traditional crop varieties over modern ones because they are cheap, easily accessible and commonly shared within and between villages. Most of the seeds come from the farmers’ own seed banks.

According to the research findings, policy makers have undervalued how traditional knowledge has enabled indigenous communities to cope with extreme weather and environmental change over the centuries.

But Mushongi believes that improving crop yields remains the major challenge facing food production in Tanzania, as population continues to rise and the climate becomes increasingly unpredictable.

Felix Mwakyembe is a freelance writer based in Mbeya, Tanzania.

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/t...resist-drought

[kiligoland]

http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php...ts-wef-support

[kiligoland]

poultry in coast region

[Geza Ulole]

3rd March 12
Tobacco farmers collect 6bn/- to form own bank
Correspondent

Tobacco farmers in Tanzania are set to establish their own bank to begin with a capital of 6bn/- next month. The aim of setting up the bank is, among other things, to enable them secure loans easily.

Currently tobacco farmers only access loans from few commercial banks such as CRDB, National Microfinance Bank (NMB) and Azania Bank which dish out money at very high interest rates thus obstructing smallholder farmers from procuring loans.

Speaking to this paper on the phone yesterday, the chairperson of Tanzania Tobacco Farmers Association, who is also the MP for Mpanda-Rural, Moshi Kakoso, said the society has chosen Tabora municipality to be the headquarters of the bank because a quarter of tobacco farmers are found in the region.

“We expect more smallholder farmers to be cooperative in the founding of the bank because their presence in the setting up of the bank is necessary,” Kakoso said.

According to Kakoso, to get a loan from the bank, every party should have at least 2m/- in deposits, while the existing parties’ starts from the level of smallholder farmers in rural areas to farmers.

However, he added that, the association has decided that it will not sell tobacco in Shillings but in US dollars focusing on more profit to the farmers.

He said the society also wants the government to uphold to its 2009 decision aimed at increasing tobacco production from 58,702 tonnes to 60,000 tonnes.

Kakoso explained that, tobacco farmers, through their cooperatives and primary societies, will be the source to their agricultural inputs using bank credits.

The procured inputs will then be distributed to society members on loan basis. The members will then sell their harvests in cured tobacco through their societies which would maintain accounts with the loaning bank.

Previously, tobacco emerged as one of the main sources of government revenue among the total traditional exports, according to a Bank of Tanzania monthly economic review.

By the same vein, official government figures show that a total of 340bn/- was collected as tax from tobacco in the last five years.

About 52bn/- was collected in 2003/2004, some 59bn/- in 2004/2005, whereas 62bn/-was collected in 2005/2006.

At least 77bn/- was collected in 2006/2007 and 90bn/- was collected in 2007/2008.

Tobacco production rose to 59 million kgs in 2009 up from 22 million kgs in 2000 resulting in local farmers to earn as much as between 300,000/- and 500,000/- per ha in the previous season.

Globally, there is an oversupply situation resulting from increased worldwide production and reduced consumption due to the world economic recession, smoking restrictions/bans, increased taxation on tobacco products and tobacco products regulations.
THE GUARDIAN
http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/fun...le.php?l=39067

[Geza Ulole]

Tanzania welcomes second agricultural corridor initiative

AGRF‟s focus is on projects that have taken a systemic (or value-chain) approach to agricultural economic development; projects that have involved partners from different industries within the private sector, as well as partners from the public and aid sectors. In this first issue of the AGRF Update we showcase a project that has worked, been further developed and brings together partners in a new innovative, systemic approach to mitigating the risk of investing in African agriculture.

AGRF is supporting the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzanian (SAGCOT) - a public-private initiative to unlock Africa‟s huge agricultural potential. As Salum Shamte, Chairman of the Agricultural Council of Tanzania, says, “the agricultural potential of the Southern corridor is enormous but remains largely dormant or highly underexploited.”

Tanzania is only using one per cent of theoretically irrigable land. Businesses have traditionally not invested into African agriculture because of perceived challenges to doing business in a region without adequate infrastructure or regulatory certainty.. The first initiative - the Beira corridor in Mozambique - is helping farmers cultivate 190,000 hectares of newly-irrigated land, generating new revenues of more than US$1 billion.

Following the success in Mozambique, Tanzania‟s own SAGOT initiative was discussed at a meeting of the African World Economic Forum in Dar es Salaam in May 2010, where government and business leaders agreed to a joint initiative to develop an investment blueprint for the corridor by end of 2010.

SAGOT responds to a call for investment outlined in Tanzania‟s Kilimo Kwanza agricultural policy. Already the African Development Bank has donated US$230m to upgrade trunk roads, including one between Dodoma and Iringa. Fertilizer company Yara intends to invest US$20 million into a dedicated fertilizer terminal at the Dar es Salaam port.

In addition, helping smallholder farmers commercialize and gain access to international markets could create one million new jobs.

To receive a copy of the „concept note‟ on the SAGCOT initiative, published in May, please see: www.africacorridors.com
http://www.caadp.net/blog/2010/08/06...or-initiative/


http://www.africacorridors.com/sagcot/

[Geza Ulole]

Sisal firm to lend farmers Sh5bn
Monday, 12 March 2012 23:00

By George Sembony
Tanga. Katani Limited -- a Tanga-based sisal company that pioneers smallholder farming -- plans to extend loans worth Sh4.87 billion between this year and 2015 to smallholder sisal farmers operating in five sisal estates.The company CEO, Mr Salum Shamte, said in Tanga last week that the loans would enable sisal farmers in Hale, Magoma, Magunga, Mwelya and Ngombezi sisal estates in Korogwe District to plant about 4,700 hectares of sisal.

To help smallholder farmers, in 2006, the company, extended loans worth over Sh1.2 billion.“Almost the entire of Mwelya Estate has been planted with sisal except for 100 hectares,” he said, adding that previously smallholder farming was not popular but this was changing now.Shamte said that the company was planning to partner with financial institutions to enhance sisal production.

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) recently committed itself to give a long-term credit worth $10 million to the company for development purposes including expansion of Hale sisal waste power plant and a Hydro-power project at Ngombezi sisal estate that would generate 15 Megawatts of electricity. The estate is endowed with three points where there is infrastructure to produce hydro power.

The CEO said sisal farmers had invested over Sh5.6 billion by December 2011, while over 6,000 hectares had been planted out of the total area suitable for sisal farming in the five estates covering over 15,000 hectares in total.A total of 2,150 smallholder farmers had joined the Sisal Smallholder and Outgrower Scheme (SISO) by December, last year.
http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/business...-farmers-sh5bn