Author: PETI SIYAME, Mpanda
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Katavi Regional Commissioner, Mr Juma Homera has disclosed that farmers in the region project to realise more than 1,000 tonnes of cashewnuts in the 2021/22 seasons.
He said that the region has over 1,190,000 cashewnut plants planted on 80,000 ha of farmland in the previous seasons.
Mr Homera made such revelation shortly after receiving 4,000 kilograms of high breed cashew nut seeds handed to him by the Cashewnut Board of Tanzania (CBT), at an occasion held here recently, where he said that the seeds are expected to produce 650,000 cashewnut seedlings.
Equally, the RC called on CBT to help in the construction of \ processing facility for raw cashew nut in the region to add its values.
“The good news is that already farmers in the region have grown 540,000 cashewnut plants on their farmlands accommodating 37,000 ha between 2018/19 and 2019/20…. By next season, the farmers expect to realize over 1,000 tonnes of cashewnuts,” he said.
He said after the region received the 4,000 kilograms of high breed cashewnut seeds from CBT, farmers in the region expect to plant 650,000 cashewnut seedlings this farming season on 37,000 ha of farmland …
In the course, Mlele District Council has been given 2,300 kgs, Nsimbo got 900 kgs, while Mpimbwe and Mpanda municipality councils each received 400 kgs of the high breed cashew nut seeds.
While receiving the seeds from CBT, Mr Homera directed Executive Council Directors to ensure all the seeds are grown and planted without excuses.
“District Commissioners who will take this for granted by not supervising closely the cultivation of cashew nuts will act against the government vision that has been insisting on cultivation of strategic cash crops, where cashew nut is one of them” he explained.
On his part, the CBT Director, Mr Francis Alfred praised farmers in the region for seriously engaging in cultivation of such cash crop, saying it will increase their economic status.
