Tanzania Launches 65 New Hybrid Seed Varieties

Tanzania government, through the state-run National Seed Committee, has just approved and launched over 65 new hybrid seed varieties said to be high yielding, drought-tolerant and disease-resistant, aimed at boosting agriculture in the country.

Acting Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr Yamungu Kayandabila, stated that the newly-approved hybrid seed varieties cover eleven types of produces including food and cash crops and will be available to farmers from next year.

The newly-approved hybridseeds include those of maize, sorghum, wheat, cassava, sugarcane, cotton, pigeon peas, legumes, sesame, cashewnuts and tobacco.

"The new seed varieties will help increase productivity and income to our farmers across the country in the wake of global warming and climate change, taking toll onto the weather and soil texture," said Mr Kayandabila.

He stated that the approval of those hybrid seed varieties came after being recommended by the National Variety Release Committee (NVRC) at its meeting which was held and has just been concluded in Arusha.

"These new seed varieties have been proved to be productive, drought and disease resistant, early maturity and ripening as well as being accepted by all farmers in the country," he said, adding that those seed varieties have been developed by 12 public and private agricultural research centres across the country.

Institutions of scientific research that were involved in crafting the new seeds include the government owned such as Selian, Uyole, Ilonga, Kibaha and Naliendele as well as private ones like the Meru Agro and consultancy Ltd, IFFA Seed Company Limited, Multi-Agro trading Main Supplier, Chareon Pokphand Produce Tanzania Company Ltd, Advanta Seed Company, East Africa Seed (T) Ltd and Dandeva Seed Services (T) Ltd.

The Deputy PS in the ministry said the approved seed varieties will be re-produced by different seed breeders and staterun Agricultural Seed Agency (ASA).

He said farmers will start getting those hybrid seeds in the 2016/2017 farming season. Maize hybrid seeds developed include the UHS 401, MERU SB507, MERU HB509, MERU IR 621, SC529, SC533, SC719, Lubango Hybrid, MAMSH 591, BSI 1, CP808, CP201 and KH500-43A.

Wheat hybrid seeds include Merina, Shangwe, and Ngori; while cotton involve one hybrid seed as NTA93-21 and pigeon pea seeds include Kiboko, Ilonga 10-1M, Ilonga 10-2M and Karatu- 1, legumes involve Vuli-4 and Vuli-3.

Sugarcane seeds includeR570, R575, R579, N30 and N41; cassava seeds include Chereko, Kizimbani, Mkuranga-1 and Kipusa; Mtondo 2013 is a newly developed seed for sesame and 24 cashew nuts' seeds. Sorghum seeds include PAC 501 and PAC 537 and tobacco seeds include DDV10, DDV42 and DDV 4.