By Michael Sikapundwa, Kilosa
Chairman of Revolutionary Party ( CCM ), Kilosa district council, Morogoro region, Amer Mbaraka has advised farming stakeholders from the government, Nongovernmental organizations ( NGOs ), and Agricultural Universities to provide farmers with simple and modern agricultural technology in cultivating sisal to cultivate 13,109 hectares before 2025 as to meet district’s plan. Areas set for sisal cultivation as Kimamba A, Kimamba B, Rudewa, Msowero , Mvumi, Madoto, Masanze, Kilangali, Chanzuru, Tindiga, Magole, Kitete, Ulaya, Mhenda and Magomeni. Chairman said this over the weekend when was explaining the content of his book titled ‘’ Upandaji wa Mkonge ‘’ at a special meeting of farming and livestock stakeholders that was organized by Kilosa district commissioner in collaboration with the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania ( SAGCOT ). ‘’ Sisal is a life game-changer because is grown well in hot climates with temperatures between 10 to 32. This crop allows intercropping because is not affected by other crops. Annually a farmer has the capacity to harvest three times and there’s the assurance of the market because according to Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database ( FAOSTAT,2014) Tanzania in the world is ranked second after Brazil for sisal production of 27,460.50 tons per year ’’ he said. Said, his book is useful to anyone because is written in simple language explaining climatic requirements, soil requirements, field layout, and design, weed and pest control. Mentioned agricultural experts from Sokoine University of Agriculture ( SUA ) as among of groups that gained knowledge on how to plant till process it. ‘’I’ve been assisting experts from SUA on how to grow sisal , identification of diseases and how to overcome them then, I realized there was need to send this knowledge to local people hence in 2021 , I published a book in Kiswahili which has a process from farm to the market ‘’ he said For his part, district agricultural official, Dr. Yuda Mgeni, mentioned sustainable strategies the district council has scheduled toward reaching target of cultivating 13,109 sisal hectares as provision block farms to farmers, registering all sisal cultivators to Tanzania Sisal Board ( TSB ), training 93 experts and 300 farmers. ‘’ Currently, a district owns 6,695 sisal hectares hope will have 13,109 hectares before 2025, and we have a program of establishing a seed nursery then providing to smallholder farmers free of charge the exercise that will be accompanied by emphasizing the establishment of processing industries ‘’ he explained. SAGCOT’s Project Manager, John Banga , congratulated the harmonious situation in the district compared to the time before when pastoralist and farmers’ conflict was a big challenge. Insisted concentrate on production because government has already allocated budget for the completion of tarmac road from Kilosa to Dar es Salaam time before exportation and importation of goods was a challenge due to poor infrastructures . ‘’ Bear in mind sisal is one of the key crops and it has all potential to bring about economic gain to local communities and preserve beautiful nature of a region . Cooperation is an inevitable to three sectors of private, government and farmers because depends each other ‘’ he said. Other leading sisal growing regions as Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Coast, Lindi and Mtwara . Today the sisal industry in Tanzania employs over 100,000 people according to the Bank of Tanzania ( BOT ) and FAO
