Tanzania’s agricultural research institute has started producing improved maize seeds which are resistant to fall armyworm, an agricultural official said on Sunday.
Godfrey Camel, Tanzania’s eastern zone director for agricultural research and development, said in an interview that fall armyworm-resistant seeds will be distributed to farmers in August during this year’s Farmers’ Day, dubbed Nane Nane, or “eight eight” in Swahili.
In Tanzania, Nane Nane Day is celebrated on Aug. 8 with a week-long fair to recognize the important contribution of farmers to the national economy.
Camel said the Morogoro-based Agricultural Research Institute embarked on the production of the new seeds after it received a number of complaints from maize farmers about the effects and destruction caused by the fall armyworms.
“We have embarked on research of new seeds which are resistant to various insects including fall armyworms. We want farmers to reap more by using quality seeds,” he said, adding that the seeds are also drought-resistant.
Addressing parliament in February, Tanzania’s Agriculture minister, Charles Tizeba, said the government had distributed pesticides to contain fall armyworms and rats that had invaded farms in several regions across the country. Enditem
