Author: FATMA ABDU
AfricaPress-Tanzania: PRODUCTION of beans in the country should increase to meet the local and international markets currently, the demand stands at 1.2 million tonnes while the production is 1 million tonnes per year.
Tanzania is the leading country in East Africa for the production of beans, which is exported to Kenya, Malawi, Congo, Rwanda, South Africa and Burundi.
The National Coordinator of Beans research from Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute-Uyole Centre (TARI Uyole) in Mbeya Region, Dr Rose Mongi said the Centre now has researched beans that contain nutrients and vitamins as an effort to curb malnutrition in Tanzania.
Dr Mongi noted that Tanzania still has the opportunity to increase production to meet the local and international demands and boost the national income.
She said the center has developed 22 different bean varieties where they have been encouraging farmers to use the technology to increase their production, saying the center also educates farmers on pest and disease control in the crop.
“The center educates farmers and stakeholders on the importance of using improved beans varieties that developed at the Centre,” Dr Mongi said.
He mentioned some of the improved varieties which developed at the Centre as yellow Uyole, Calima Uyole, Uyole 18, Uyole 03, Uyole 99, Uyole 04 and Nyeupu Uyole.
He said the challenges for the crop include leaf diseases, horned stalks, beetles and root disease, pests of bean flies and bean pods.
Uyole Center Director, Dr Tulole Bucheyeki said the center is one of the 19 research centers in the country but also the largest of the nine agricultural centers with researched beans in the country.
He said that due to the increase of production is an opportunity for various stakeholders including manufacturers to invest in the product.
TARI Director General, Dr Geoffrey Mkamilo, in his efforts to achieve a middle and industrial economy, Tanzania has stick on the use of various technologies that provide positive response to the challenges facing communities in the sector.
According to him, TARI is engaged in the distribution of technologies for the aim of reaching farmers and other agricultural stakeholders.
Chairman of the TARI Board, Dr Yohana Budeba that the country is now needed to achieve the highest level of agricultural productivity for the farmer to support industrial development.
Also TARI has the mandate of disseminating research results to stakeholders and the scientific community, these stakeholders include farmers, consumers among others.
