Morogoro. The Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), through its TARI Kibaha centre, has distributed more than 300 tonnes of improved sugarcane seed variety R570 to 60 farmers in Kilombero District as part of efforts to strengthen productivity and raise farmers’ incomes through more efficient cultivation.
Speaking during the handover on behalf of the TARI Director-General, the Manager for Natural Resources Research and Agricultural Engineering, Dr Hildelitha Msita, said the R570 variety has demonstrated strong performance in yield and resilience.
“The R570 seed has consistently shown high quality and remarkable results in production,” Dr Msita said.
She noted that TARI had already established a dedicated sugarcane seed multiplication farm at Ichonde Village in Kilombero, covering four acres, to guarantee sustainable access to certified seed for growers.
“We have now set up the Ichonde farm to ensure a reliable and continuous supply of improved seed for farmers,” she said.
Dr Msita also urged farmers to adopt the R570 variety to enhance efficiency, increase harvests and improve household income.
For his part, Kilombero District Commissioner, Mr Dunstan Dominik Kyobya, expressed appreciation to TARI for the support and encouraged residents to embrace the use of improved seed developed by the institute in order to secure higher and more profitable yields.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Yordan Nguruwe, speaking on behalf of the farmers, commended TARI for providing seed that he said would “help increase income for individuals and the nation at large.”
