Growing agricultural mechanisation boosts morale of Mbarali paddy growers.
By Paul Mahundi,Dar es salaam Mbarali, the second largest district in Mbeya Region after Chunya, is set to increase paddy production because of growing agricultural mechanisation that is targeting smallholder growers in the district. Mechanisation is championed by the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB). Smallholders are Tanzania’s main growers of paddy and the government asserts in the National Rice Development Strategy Phase II (NRDS II) “around 90% of Tanzania’s rice production takes place under smallholder system. The sizes of rice farms range from 0.5 to 3 ha, with an average farm size of 1.3 ha.” A Mbarali paddy grower who attended the just- ended 45 th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair ( DITF), Mr Amos Mwangulube, told agriculture reporters here that morale of paddy growers in their district has increased because 15 combine harvesters receive by Nguvu Kazi ya Wanavala Cooperative society wil...