The Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) has intensified its efforts to strengthen smallholder farmers’ resilience against the growing impacts of climate change, using the Eastern Zone Nane Nane Agricultural Exhibition in Morogoro as a strategic platform to deliver weather-based agricultural advisory services.
At the Mwalimu Nyerere Grounds, TMA’s exhibition booth became a live broadcast hub through MVIWATA FM, allowing real-time weather education to reach thousands of farmers beyond the exhibition grounds.
This approach, according to officials, expands the authority’s outreach, particularly to rural communities that are increasingly vulnerable to erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, and shifting planting seasons.
TMA Eastern Zone Manager, Ms. Hidaya Senga, underscored that access to accurate and timely weather information is no longer a luxury but a necessity for smallholder farmers.
“Through media platforms and tailored programmes, farmers can now plan agricultural activities with precision, boosting productivity and reducing the risks of crop losses,” she said.
She noted that the government’s investment in modern meteorological equipment has been pivotal.
Advanced data collection and analysis systems now enable TMA to issue rapid and highly accurate weather alerts, supporting both short-term decisions, such as planting schedules, and long-term planning for climate adaptation.
Agriculture remains the backbone of Tanzania’s economy, contributing around 25% to GDP and employing over 65% of the workforce.
However, climate change threatens to erode these gains.
The World Bank projects that without urgent adaptation measures, crop yields could decline significantly by 2050, with severe implications for food security.
Against this backdrop, TMA’s role extends beyond weather forecasting to becoming a critical player in the national climate adaptation strategy.
By integrating meteorological data into agricultural extension services, the authority helps farmers adopt climate-smart practices such as adjusting planting dates, selecting drought-resistant crop varieties, and improving water management.
The Eastern Zone Nane Nane Exhibition, a flagship event for knowledge exchange between policymakers, researchers, and farmers, provided a timely opportunity to reinforce these messages.
By coupling on-site demonstrations with live radio broadcasts, TMA maximised its reach, ensuring that even those unable to attend in person could benefit from its guidance.
“This is about safeguarding livelihoods,” Ms. Senga emphasised. “The better farmers understand and use weather information, the better prepared they are to withstand the shocks of climate variability.”
With climate change already altering rainfall patterns across Tanzania, TMA’s proactive engagement signals a shift towards more integrated, data-driven solutions for the agricultural sector — a shift that may prove decisive in protecting the country’s food systems for decades to come.