Seven Million Sisal Seedlings distributed to farmers as Tanzania revives cash crop

Over 7 million sisal seedlings distributed to farmers as Tanzania revives cash crop

Tanzania is contemplating to revive sisal a cash crop which had been kicked under the rug for many years

THE Director General of the Tanzania Sisal Board, Saddy Kambona revealed plans to start producing at least 120,000 tons of sisal every year from the year 2025 onwards.

In 1964 Tanzania broke world record by producing 230,000 tons of sisal.

According to Kambona, the board is putting in place some strategic efforts, involving local farmers, to ensure the targeted goal is being realized within the next fiscal year.

A total of 6887 sisal farmers were registered under the Tanzania Sisal Board (TSB) in 2020.

“By the year 2022 the number had shot up to 8972, indicating massive potential of sisal revival in the country,” said the TBS Director General.

As far as Kambona is concerned, there are over 22,000 other sisal growers in the country who are yet to be registered under the Board.

Despite being almost forgotten, the Tanzania’s sisal sector has been able to increase the crop production from 36,380 tons in 2020 to more than 48,400 tons in 2022.

Kambona has meanwhile also revealed that the Tanzania sisal Board has managed to distribute a total of 7 million sisal kernels to smallholder farmers in the 16 different districts of the mainland, free of charge.

The districts include Korogwe ,Muheza, Tanga, Mkinga, Handeni, Kilindi, Rorya, Bunda, Butiama, Bariadi, Bagamoyo, Kisarawe, Mkuranga, Manyoni  and Singida rural as well as Mkalama.

Also, the board has been carving out free farming plots to sisal growers.

In Kilosa District of Morogoro some 3000 lucky farmers were given free land for cultivation, while more than 980 others got the complimentary farming plots in the Korogwe District of Tanga.

According to the TSB Director General, the board has received 2 billion/- from the central government for its fiscal year budget a commendable increase from the measly 100 million/- that used to be allocated to them in 2020.

From the funds, the Board has been able purchase modern Sisal processing machines, as well as reviving the other dilapidated processing facilities at Kibaranga Sisal estate in the Muheza district od Tanga and the TPL Sisal farm in Bwawani area of Meru in Arusha region.

Sisal returns to address environmental concerns that rose from the previously used plastic based packaging material that are now being banned across the globe.