Tanzania which reportedly produces 60,000 tons of sisal in a year is said to be working below capacity as more than 46 percent of the country’s arable land is suitable for the crop cultivation.
At least 44.2 million hectares of land, equivalent to 46 percent of the total land in Tanzania are suitable for growing sisal; but the crop is being cultivated on less than half of the arable area.
On the other hand, the demand for sisal seedlings stands at 10 million annually but the country is currently producing only 5 million seedlings.
Despite the shortcomings, Tanzania still ranks second in the world as far as sisal production is concerned, beaten only by Brazil, which leads in the crop exports globally.
But to give the crop a shot in the arm, Tanzania is setting out to empower the country’s Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) with financial support to help expand production of improved sisal seedlings.
The injected capital will be invested in the expansion of the special laboratory for the production of the kernels at the Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) Mlingano research facility located in Tanga region.
Dr Mgeta Merumba, the Director of the TARI Mlingano center affirmed that the development will scale up production of the sisal seedlings and eventually boost the crop output and export rates.
According to Dr Merumba, the Agricultural Research Institute through the Mlingano center has managed to work over 30 hectares on which more than 3 million sisal seedlings have been planted.
“The target is to ensure that all sisal farmers across the country get supplied with adequate and quality seedlings to boost the crop production in all regions,” he said.
In Tanzania, sisal is mostly grown in Katavi, Kilimanjaro, Morogoro and Tanga Regions.
Tanzania usually finds lucrative markets for its sisal yarns and fibres in the Middle Eastern countries.