By ABDI SULEIMAN, PEMBA.
Others went further saying that agriculture is a savior, and does not throw anyone away and does not always make you hungry. When you can engage in agriculture, then your life will be able to go and start changing day by day and achieve your dreams.
There are those who educate their children through agriculture, they have built modern residential houses through agriculture; it is their key to human life. In recent years, many peoples have focused on the cultivation of vegetables and fruits, a situation that has led to a reduction even for those products from outside Pemba Island. Now the arrival of the Spices, vegetables and fruits project in Pemba, which has already completed three years of its implementation, great success has begun to be seen for the farmers involved in the project. The four-year project implemented by the Association of Tanzanian Women Journalists TAMWA – ZANZIBAR, a platform that supports the development of Tanzanian People (PDF) in collaboration with the Pemba Forest Management Community (CFP), as a special program to promote agriculture “Agri Connect” with the funding of the European Union (EU). PROJECT OBJECTIVES.The project aims to reach more than 57,000 beneficiaries from 60 districts of Pemba and Unguja; it has already helped show opportunities and changes the lives of those farmers.The project has already shown the way out for its beneficiaries, when they harvest the produce and send it to the market in the island of Pemba and Unguja. WHAT THE BENEFICIARIES SAYA farmer of Passion fruit and Pineapple crops from Kwale Mpona, Maryam Hamad, has said that the arrival of the Spices Project has been a savior in her life, as it has been able to provide her with an income that meets her needs. Before entering the spices project, the agriculture that he grew up cultivating did not produce a good harvest, now he is thanking God for getting good and quality crops that attract customers.
“After entering the spices project, I have benefited, first of all, adequate education on agriculture, the yield has increased more than before,” he says. He is currently money to support himself, save and educate his children by paying school fees, he has already bought a Vespa and installed electricity in the house. Farmer Ali Khamis Abdalla says that farming has brought him out of poverty, because now the income he gets helps him to continue his life. “As I have grown up, I will make sure I reach my goals, even if this joint project expires, I will continue my farming activities,” he explains. In addition, he said that he has advised citizens to get involved in agricultural activities, in order to get rid of poverty, dependency and not to wait for jobs from the government alone. Even the cinnamon and vanilla spice farmer Asha Ali, says that before the project, she grew up farming traditionally using traditional methods, planting vegetables without following a specific procedure. “I never had 100 stalks of cinnamon or vanilla, but now I have a large area, I plant all things more professionally, harvest don’t say when the time comes,” she said.
“I have more than five acres of cinnamon I cultivate, before I didn’t know about this crop, nor all the vanilla I cultivate and I have more than 5,000 vanilla trees,” she added. HOW IS THEIR MARKET? Farmer Subira Mkubwa Mohamed says that currently the biggest market they use is in the island of Pemba, where vegetable and fruit traders follow the farm. “Many of our customers we sell to them in general such as Passion fruit, papayas, pineapples, when you come to peppers, vegetables and tomatoes too, there is a period when the market is damaged, but I have not encountered it yet,” she says. And Ali Khamis Abdalla, a farmer, says he is making great efforts, looking for customers and talking to them, where they have agreed, and then he has to deliver the products to them in their areas.
WHAT ARE THEIR GOALS?Farmer of Passion fruit and Pineapples from Kwale Mpona Maryam Hamad, is to educate her children, to buy various daily needs. She hopes to buy a vespa (vehicle), and install electricity service and is currently planning to build a modern house. “Agriculture pays off if you have decided to engage in agricultural activities with all your heart, if you are not yet ready then you will not be successful,” he explains. And Farmer Ali Khamis Abdalla, says his current goals are to increase the size of the farm and ensure that he exports the produce outside of Pemba Island. “The local market is currently good for me, because buyers are coming to the farm to pick up products, even though I plan to go to Unguja,” he says. For, farmer Zuwena Omar Haji, says she hopes to start a modern chicken breeding project, after being successful in vegetable farming.
PEMBA ORGAN FARMING COMMUNITY The chairman of the Pemba Spices Farmers Association Suleiman Ali Faki, says the farmers were steaming their spice products in natural things (breasts), something that was not right to do so. He says the community of European countries (EU), has helped various things, including education and expertise in drying products using special machines. “Currently we have two machines drying our products, one is in Daya Mtambwe and the other in Gando, farmers have started bringing their products to be dried,” he said. The idea is that if farmers find it difficult to reach them and provide them with education and inputs, but this joint project has made everything easier for them. “The project has given us a lot of support and now we have grown with at least 800 spice farmers, most of them grow cinnamon, vanilla and “pili pili manga”, this is a comfort for us,” he says.
PEMBA PROJECT MANAGERSThe Pemba Region Spices project officer, from Agri Connect, HazIel Gilbert Sezero, says that spice farmers are currently moving from one place to another, unlike before. He says production has now doubled, last month they sold 21,000 spice seedlings to farmers including 7,500 vanilla seedlings, 8,000 cinnamon and 5,500 pili pili mango seedlings. “Farmers have taken a big step, there are those who deliver one ton of cinnamon, this is the beginning where it is possible to even export it outside Pemba Island,” he said. And an expert from the ‘CFP’ community, Ali Hamad, says the Spices project has helped farmers by providing them with education on the best farming methods that are compatible with climate change.
SUCCESSFarmer Mariyam Hamad, says that if the project reaches completion, then she will not have any worries because the education he received will enable her to continue with the farming activities. “We were given adequate training before starting work, practical and classroom training, now I am ready to do my agricultural work anywhere,” she informed. Salma Hamad Ali, a spice farmer from Gando, says that there is no successes withiout challenges, as some of the crops are destroyed by insects. “I have entered into agricultural activities to get help paying for her children’s school fees, but the problem is when insects invade, everything is missing,” she added. In addition, she said that her hope is to see her childrens get jobs from within the agriculture, without depending on it from the Government. The Pemba Region Spices project officer, from Agri Connect, HazIel Gilbert Sezero, has said that the strategies they have planned are to connect Spices farmers and markets to get profit.
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2023/2024 The Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, Natural Resources and Livestock, Zanzibar Shamata Shaame Khamis, has said that the agricultural sector employs approximately 40 percent of the people of Zanzibar. Where, it is estimated that more than 70 percent of the people depend on the sector in their daily livelihood. Where the main objective of the ministry is to encourage farmers to increase production by using the best methods and modern technologies, access to markets and increase the national income. For the year 2022, the Agriculture Sector has contributed 22.9 percent of the national GDP compared to the 24.6 percent reported in 2021. Statistics show that a total of 104,316 acres were planted with crops in 2022, an increase compared to 98,591 acres in 2021, equal to an increase of 5,725 acres. “86,625 acres which is equal to 83.0 percent were planted with food crops, while vegetable and fruit crops were planted in an area of 17,691 acres which is equal to 17.0 percent,” he added. In terms of the production of vegetables and fruits, it has increased by a difference of 1,484 tons from 64,820 tons in 2021 to 66,304 tons in 2022, due to many citizens being motivated by irrigated agriculture for fruits and vegetables. THE END