Indonesia has expressed interest in introducing cloud seeding technology to Tanzania.
The Indonesian Ambassador to Tanzania, Tri Yogo Jatmiko explained that cloud seeding technology will help Tanzania to take full control of the country’s rain dependent agriculture in addition to combating natural disasters such as bushfires.
Speaking at the ongoing Nane-Nane Agricultural Show exhibitions in Dodoma, the Indonesian envoy to Tanzania explained that cloud seeding will also help the country to minimize or offset the effects of climate change, which is currently a global concern.
The Ambassador had just visited the Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute (TARI), pavilion at the Nane-Nane grounds in Dodoma where he exchanged ideas with the officials at the organization, insisting that Indonesia will be more than ready to support Tanzania with farming technology to boost production.
“This year for instance, Indonesia and Tanzania will launch a joint Agricultural Cooperation Commission,” revealed Ambassador Jatmiko, adding that all the latest technological innovations hatched in his country will be made readily available in Tanzania as well.
According to the Indonesian envoy, Jakarta had initially adopted cloud seeding technology from Thailand and throughout the 30 years of implementation the South Asian country has managed to master it to perfection and now ready to share the knowledge elsewhere.
About two weeks ago Indonesia deployed cloud seeding operations, creating precipitation to combat worsening forest and land fires in the country’s Riau province.
Apparently, cloud seeding has also transformed Indonesia’s agricultural sector from being fully rain-dependent and becoming free from weather command and therefore improved its productivity in the agriculture sector.
The envoy pointed out that his country is currently leading in Coconut and Rubber production due to the fact that Indonesian agricultural sector is now independent of weather seasons.
“Through the technology, we want to train Tanzania’s experts on how to create their own weather to supplement agricultural production,” said the envoy, but pointed out that rainmaking may irk some people especially the religious fanatics who believe that only ‘God’ should be left to control the weather.
In reaction to that, the Director General of Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute, Dr Thomas Bwana agreed that it was high time the country also adopted cloud seeding technology to address the effects of climate change and improve farming yields from rainmaking skills.
According to Dr Bwana, Indonesia has been helpful in the provision of farming technology to Tanzania, including the recent initiative of introducing hybrid kernels for the growing of palm oil.