Tanzania Shows Promise as New Farming Season Starts.
Farmers in Tanzania have good news. The country has plenty of fertilizer ready for the growing season ahead. By late November, Tanzania had gathered more than 769,000 tons of fertilizer, which meets 77% of farmers' needs.
The supply comes from three places. Some stayed from last season, and local plants made more. The rest came from other countries. Mr. Gerson Msigwa, who speaks for the government, said local production has grown a lot. Last year, Tanzania made nearly twice as much fertilizer as before.
Seeds are also doing well. Farmers have more than half of what they need, and most seeds come from inside Tanzania. This marks big progress in growing their supplies.
The government helps farmers buy what they need. Special programs make fertilizer and seeds cheaper, and these programs use digital systems to work better. More than 4 million farmers can buy these cheaper supplies.
Rain has been falling since October. The government wants farmers to buy their supplies right away, so it has spent billions of shillings to help them pay less for what they need.
Farmers are getting more help in other ways. The government gave out tablets, cars, and motorcycles to farm helpers. These helpers teach better farming methods. They also got tools to check the soil and other items they needed.
Mr. Msigwa asked farmers to sign up at their local offices, which allows them to buy cheaper supplies. The government believes these steps will help farmers grow more food and strengthen Tanzania's farms.
The country has big plans to grow more of its farming supplies. This should help Tanzania depend less on other countries and feed its people better.
Farmers in Tanzania have good news. The country has plenty of fertilizer ready for the growing season ahead. By late November, Tanzania had gathered more than 769,000 tons of fertilizer, which meets 77% of farmers' needs.
The supply comes from three places. Some stayed from last season, and local plants made more. The rest came from other countries. Mr. Gerson Msigwa, who speaks for the government, said local production has grown a lot. Last year, Tanzania made nearly twice as much fertilizer as before.
Seeds are also doing well. Farmers have more than half of what they need, and most seeds come from inside Tanzania. This marks big progress in growing their supplies.
The government helps farmers buy what they need. Special programs make fertilizer and seeds cheaper, and these programs use digital systems to work better. More than 4 million farmers can buy these cheaper supplies.
Rain has been falling since October. The government wants farmers to buy their supplies right away, so it has spent billions of shillings to help them pay less for what they need.
Farmers are getting more help in other ways. The government gave out tablets, cars, and motorcycles to farm helpers. These helpers teach better farming methods. They also got tools to check the soil and other items they needed.
Mr. Msigwa asked farmers to sign up at their local offices, which allows them to buy cheaper supplies. The government believes these steps will help farmers grow more food and strengthen Tanzania's farms.
The country has big plans to grow more of its farming supplies. This should help Tanzania depend less on other countries and feed its people better.
