Over 10,000 seed producers were trained, 52 percent women and 29 percent youth
More than 62,000 smallholder farmers across Tanzania have benefited from training provided by the World Vegetable Center – Eastern and Southern Africa (WorldVeg), aimed at boosting productivity and economic empowerment.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) project, WorldVeg Tanzania Programme Manager, Ms Colleta Ndunguru, said the initiative, launched in 2023, has supported farmers in Arusha, Manyara, Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar.
“The project helped farmers formalise their businesses and distributed quality vegetable seeds to over 10,500 households,” she said. Over 10,000 seed producers were trained, 52 percent women and 29 percent youth.
The Director of the Zanzibar Agricultural and Livestock Research Institute, Dr Abdallah Ibrahim Ali, praised WorldVeg for advancing fruit and vegetable farming, noting that over 446,000 vegetable seedlings were distributed nationwide.
CIMMYT Country Coordinator, Mr Peter Ojukwu, said the initiative tackles hunger and malnutrition by promoting quality seed systems and training.
Farmers reported increased yields and income, with some onion producers tripling their harvests.
The project was funded by CIMMYT and implemented with partners including RIKOLTO, World Vision, and the Ministry of Tourism and Heritage in Zanzibar. (The Citizen Reporter)
