Maize farmers in Tanzania have demanded the government to provide them such seeds which are resistant to drought as well as pest. This will save them from buying from private seed producers who charges high price.
Farmer Kidiki Swai from the Kabuku village in Handeni District urged related state institutions should produced such drought and pest resistant seeds at affordable costs so that the farmers are facilitated with it at cheaper prices.
Swai said to a team of researchers from the Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, the demand for such new breeds is high and if the farmers are empowered to produce the seeds, the prices may come down.
The team were on a visit to the demonstration farms to assess performance of the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) varieties.
Presently the WEMA projects are being undertaken in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique apart from Tanzania to focus on food security. It is learned the new innovations may improve livelihood of the rural people. It will enhance the farmers with small scale farming.
Maize is the staple food in most of the African countries including Tanzania, but frequent drought in the region has affected the farm by lowering the yields. This has led to poverty and hunger.
Dr Jackson Nkuba, Director of Research and Development in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, said researchers are still working on new maize varieties.
The new maize species are named as WEMA 2109, WEMA 2112 and WEMA 2113.
