Temu: Irish potato farmer aiming to have 1,000 acres

Dar es Salaam. “When my father took me to Saint James Seminary School located in Kilimanjaro Region in the 1970s, I was very sure that I would not serve as a clergyman.

“I made this very obvious to my father, telling him that my ambition was to work with him in agriculture as my chosen field of expertise.”

Those were the words of Mr Hermengildi Temu alias Karume to journalists who visited his farm located in Siha District, West Kilimanjaro. The journalists toured the area to document success stories recorded from beneficiaries of subsidised fertiliser issued by the government in the 2022/23 season.

“That is how my engagement in the sector started. I directly joined my father in farming activities after completing my studies,” he said.

“Since then, farming has been part and parcel of my life. Agriculture has turned into my area of specialisation,” added Mr Temu, who engages himself in the cultivation of other crops such as wheat and beans.

Furthermore, Mr Temu said currently, he is cultivating Irish potatoes in a 400 acre farm as compared to 150 acres cultivated in the previous season.

He attributed the 250-acre increase to the government’s decision to provide subsidised fertiliser to farmers, something that has enhanced confidence in most farmers. However, Mr Temu said he would be in a better position to expand the size of land used for Irish potato farming upon getting 1,000 acres.

“I have been leasing the land to carry out farming activities, which are expensive. The government should consider providing citizens with prerequisite land after they express their readiness to invest their time and resources in the sector,” he said.

“Not only will the move increase the volume of Irish potatoes produced, but it will also increase the revenue contributed to the government through the Siha District Council,” he added.

According to him, his annual revenue contribution through the district council stood at an average of Sh8 million to Sh12 million annually, noting that increasing the size of land for Irish potato cultivation will boost levies contributed to the council.

Irish potato farming

Mr Temu said in order to successfully carry out Irish potato farming on a large piece of land, he has recruited eight managers who assist him in farming activities.

“They are not graduates; rather, they are experienced casual labourers who can supervise their colleagues on my behalf. Having worked for a long time in the sector, I usually have a better understanding of farming procedures that I usually pass on to the managers,” he said.

“Usually our agreement is based on the fact that they supervise casual laborers and receive a small part of the payment.”

“The best payment is paid after harvesting, when they are given some harvests that are equivalent to two or three acres as their wages,” he added.

Furthermore, Mr Temu said one acre that hasn’t been provided with fertilizer could produce an average of 15 to 20 bags of Irish potatoes during harvest.

“On the contrary, the same acre that has been applied with fertilizer produces an average of 70 to 100 bags of Irish potatoes,” he said.

He said Irish potatoes that are harvested from farms that have applied fertilizer are usually large in size, which is usually preferred by farmers as compared to small produce from farms that haven’t applied fertilizer.

Investment

Furthermore, he said he has been spending an average of Sh100 million to Sh150 million per season to carry out different agricultural operations.

According to him, agriculture is like a baby who is learning how to walk, hinting that the baby should tolerate challenges associated with the learning process.

“People shouldn’t get scared to fully engage in farming; however, they are supposed to be patient. There are hard times that could turn into a huge discouragement. They could make a huge investment and yet get poor harvests,” he said.

“A farmer may record high yields in the first season, but he or she should get ready for the possible disastrous seasons that could take as long as three to four consecutive years,” he added.

According to him, farmers should save some resources for use during hard times.

However, Mr Temu assured Tanzanians that agriculture had no pressure as compared to investing in other activities.

Subsidised fertiliser

Mr Temu said subsidized fertilizer has given him a huge relief, noting that only half the amount that would have been required has been procured and used.

Furthermore, he said 700 bags of subsidized fertilizer have been collected and used out of the 1,400 bags allocated to him.

“Farmers shouldn’t get discouraged because at the same time they are disheartened, their colleagues are having success. Therefore, in farming, getting discouraged is a grave sin,” he said.

He thanked the government for providing subsidised fertiliser to farmers, something that has enabled some of them to increase the size of farmed land

“However, the government should consider including pesticides on a list of inputs that are distributed to farmers through subsidy programmes.

“This is because these are among the much-needed inputs, but they are very expensive,” he said.

“Agriculture officers should also visit farmers on their respective farms. We should be provided with expertise instead of working in a business as usual style,” he added.

According to Mr Temu, this season, agricultural activities have been adversely affected by the serious impact of weather changes.

Therefore, he called on the government to consider providing farmers with fresh packages of subsidized fertilizer in the new season, which begins in March this year.

“This is because some farmers have already used up their share of subsidized fertilizer for crops that have been devastated by drought,” he said.

Irish potato market

According to Mr Temu, harvested Irish potatoes are sold to buyers who collect the produce at the farm.

He said sometimes the produce is transported to Dar es Salaam, where it is handed over to agents at the Mabibo Market, who sell it and deposit the money in a bank account.

Furthermore, he reiterated that large Irish potatoes harvested after fertiliser application usually fetch a better price compared to small ones,

He said the record harvest in his history of engagement in Irish potato farming was when he harvested the equivalent of 60 trucks’ worth of potatoes.

“One truck carries an average of 150 to 160 bags of Irish potatoes. Once the product is taken to the market, a bag of Irish potatoes can fetch an average of Sh80,000,” he said.

“But the produce is also sold at an average of between Sh60,000 and Sh70,000 at the farm gate,” he added.

Challenges

Mr Temu said Irish potatoes require high rainfall and enough fertiliser, noting however that they demand enough pesticide to control pests that have been infecting the crop.

“However, the pesticides are very expensive and are not included in the government subsidy programme,” he said.

Benefits

According to him, Irish potato farming has enabled him to properly take care of his family, including providing better education to his children.

“My firstborn, Henry Temu, is a lecturer at the University of Dodoma (Udom). My only daughter has been married, but my other two sons have emulated the farming role I’m playing,” said the 60-year-old.

“However, I have summoned the eldest. I want him to assess himself and provide an answer about what is better: working as a public servant or employing himself in farming.”

Furthermore, he said he has invested in a petrol station and built some houses at Tarakea.